


If Only

by annarchy_marie



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Harry Potter - Freeform, Love, Viktor Krum - Freeform, draco and hermione - Freeform, dramione - Freeform, ginny weasley - Freeform, ron weasley - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:28:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23492455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annarchy_marie/pseuds/annarchy_marie
Summary: Hermione Granger is tired of the weight of expectations. Everyone has their own idea of how she should live her life, who she should be with, what she should do. She's taking her life into her own hands. After ending things with her fiance, Viktor Krum, with whom she has an eight year old son, who does she run into at her ten year Hogwarts reunion? Draco Malfoy, who's on a mission to win her over, of course. But why? What are his intentions? Will they end up together?
Relationships: dramione
Comments: 3
Kudos: 23





	1. Chapter 1

It was ten years after the Battle of Hogwarts. As I sat there pondering my life as it stood, I watched my ex-fiance, Viktor Krum, as he swept past me on his broom, our eight year old son between his arms, gripping tightly on the handle. They were smiling and laughing happily, and it was in these moments that I wished I could have fallen for him all those years ago. How different my life would have been, if only my heart would have yielded. I had every reason to back then, even before Antoni came into the world. He was strong, handsome, and kind, and he loved me unconditionally. He could have easily gotten any witch he desired, but for some reason, he chose me, and I thought I could choose him too, but it seemed that no matter how hard we tried, fate had other plans for us; our lives forever tied and bound together, but somehow we were never meant to be. He was an island, and I was an ocean.   
It seemed as though my whole life, everyone had this idea of how my life should go, whether I wanted it or not. They knew who I should be, what would make me happy, where I fit best, much better than I did. My parents, after I found them and was able to fix their memories, wanted me to return to the muggle world permanently; and because of that, they were terrified when they learned about my son, and who his father was. They knew that meant I would never abandon the world of magic, despite their best efforts to convince me.  
I never became the Hermione Weasley everyone in the wizarding world expected me to be either; married to Ronald, pumping out seven red haired children, aging into a plump and happy housewife who knitted and hosted dinner parties every Sunday. Molly had inadvertently told me on several occasions that she was rather disappointed I turned Ron down.  
“You’d be the perfect couple!” She’d claim, “You were meant to be. Oh, Hermione, if you would just give it a chance, I’m sure you’d see. You belong in the Weasley family.”  
She never knew about Fred and me, though. How, just before the war started, we’d sneak around the house during holidays in the early mornings before anyone else in the house woke. How, after Dumbledore’s Army was formed, we’d secretly meet up to practice together in the Room of Requirement. How he used to pick at me for always being such a know-it-all, even though he was one of the most brilliant wizards I had ever met. How he’d defend me in the halls and wrap his arm around me when he heard someone comment on my crazy hair or large teeth. Until everything innocent turned into something far more than that. No one knew of our shared kisses and dreams of a life together after the War ended. No one knew that he was the first person I ran to when I obliviated my parents and felt lost and terrified and alone. We told each other secrets we never would have shared with the rest of the world. Molly Weasley would never know that the biggest reason I never could simply settle for Ron was because his red hair and blue eyes would always be a constant reminder of what I had lost. No one knew that I very well would have ended up a Weasley, had fate not cruelly ripped my lover from my grasp.   
No, I never quite became the woman everyone had envisioned me to be. Instead, I’m just Hermione Jean Granger, single mother and ex fiance to famous Quidditch player, Viktor Krum, best friend to Chosen One Harry Potter, and the youngest Minister of Magic in wizarding history.   
I think that Viktor was the only one who never tried to map my future out for me, and maybe that’s why being with him was so easy. He let me be free, make my own choices, become the Hermione I wanted to be. Viktor was genuine, and the only thing he cared about was that he was involved no matter which direction I went. I still remember the way his face lit up when I gave him the news that we’d soon be welcoming our child into the world. I remember Viktor making sure he was always there to witness every first our child had ever had. His first noise, first word, first steps, the first time he ever got hurt, and the first wandless spell he ever used correctly. He was such a happy father, and nothing could have made him a happier man than when he proposed and I said yes.  
I remember that just as well as I remember how his face fell when I broke down and told him that I had never loved him the way I knew he wanted me to, when I told him that I couldn’t marry him and give him false hope. Looking at him with Antoni now, I feel a shiver run up my spine as I recall the tears welling up in my ex fiance’s eyes and slowly sliding down his velvet cheeks. It’s been nearly six years, and sometimes I still see that pain hiding behind his eyes every time he looks at me. I hated that I could still remember the way his voice cracked when he reminded me that Fred Weasley was dead.


	2. The Reunion

I pull in a deep breath as I take in my appearance in the mirror. Somehow, I had managed to tame my usually unruly hair into beach curls that flowed almost elegantly down to my hips. Before doubt can reach out and tug on the seams of my dress and pull it apart, I hear a knock at the door. I already know who it is.   
“Hey there, ‘Mione. Are you ready for your class reunion?” Viktor asks me politely, stepping into what used to be our bedroom but now is only mine.  
“I suppose I will be as soon as Harry floos over. Antoni’s getting ready for bed, so he shouldn’t be up much longer.”  
He seems pleased with my appearance, as always, but this time especially because I was wearing white. His favorite color on me was white. His eyes scan over my dress. It flowed nearly down to the floor, barely held up by the extra height added to me from my heels, with an open back, and long sleeves that hung from my shoulders. I knew from all the years we had spent together that he was yearning to reach out and touch me, to caress my back and pull me into an embrace and whisper in my ear how beautiful I am again. Sometimes a part of me missed these stolen moments with Viktor, and a flash of guilt stung through me. I had no right to allow myself to indulge in such moments with him.  
Suddenly, the firepit in the other room roars to life and from the green flames emerges my two best and oldest friends, Harry and Ginny Potter. They greet us with smiles.  
“Hermione, Viktor. How good to see both of you!” Ginny says.   
I’d always really appreciated the balance Ginny brought into my life. No matter how tumultuous the situation, somehow she manages to even everything out. She and Harry were the only ones who stood by my decision not to marry Viktor.  
“I’m ready when you are!” I say as I step into the firepit with them, waving goodbye to Viktor.   
When we step back out of the flames, we arrive in Gryffindor common room for the first time in a decade. Even after Hogwarts was rebuilt, none of us really felt prepared to come back, after everything that happened. We knew the moment we stepped through the doors, we’d only be flooded with memories. Some good, some bad, and all of them equally as haunting.   
Ginny was the first one to speak.   
“I don’t suppose either of you are ready to take a trip down memory lane, huh?”  
“Maybe another time, Gin. I think it’s probably best we head down to the Great Hall,” Harry said.   
We made our way down the staircase, our feet remembering every step as though we had only just done this yesterday. When we arrived at the doors, Harry reached out and grabbed a handle, but before he pulled it open, he turned and looked at me.   
“I think I need a moment, Harry,” I told him, gently removing my arm from around his and stepping back, “You two go on ahead. I’ll see you inside.”  
He nodded, and the two of them made their way inside. Before the door shut, I peaked inside and could almost swear I could still see all of the rubble left behind after the War. Stone and brick strewn across the castle’s floor, students and teachers all gathered inside tending to the wounded, dying, and themselves. Dried blood seeped into the cracks below our feet, mixed with tears and sweat. I could nearly hear the painful cries echoing around me as faded laughter slipped through the crack just before the door slammed shut. I thought I would be strong enough to face tonight, but now that I was here, I could feel my resolve slowly being chipped away by memories.   
“You look like you could use a drink, Granger,” a long-forgotten voice comes from behind me.  
I slowly turn around and see a bourbon glass being extended to me, and as I bring my hand up to it, my eyes skim across the familiar features of the man in front of me. The first thing that really stands out to me is that famous Malfoy blonde hair, and then his deep grey eyes. The beauty of his eyes only matched by his smirk. My hand comes up and encircles the glass, barely grazing his hand. As much as I try to fight it, I can feel myself being pulled into his eyes, drinking them in, being held in place by them. A tingly sensation hits me below my waist when his scent slithers up my nostrils and I feel a shiver rush up my spine. That’s when I notice suddenly that he’s standing much too close to me for my liking, and that I was enjoying his company more than I should.   
I take a sip from my drink and take a couple steps back from him to regain my composure. I’d never admit it to anyone, but I couldn’t deny that part of me, several long years ago, had somehow found something about Draco Malfoy rather appealing. Not only had I not expected that he would show his face here tonight, but I definitely hadn’t expected that any of those old feelings would resurface. He had certainly aged well these last ten years.   
“You know, usually when a gentleman offers a lady a drink, she thanks him instead of standing there gawking at him,” Draco says to me, his voice low and almost playful.   
I scoff, “I’ll let you know when I see a gentleman.”  
He just laughs.  
“Take it easy there, Granger. I never said I had a problem with you staring. Please, feel free. I’ll consider it my one nice thing for the day. Good karma and all that.”  
“Excuse me?”  
“I try to do one nice thing every day, try to keep myself properly aligned with the universe, make sure everything’s in order.”  
I just stare at him, shocked and annoyed. I definitely found him slightly more appealing when he kept his mouth shut.   
“Technically, that makes the second nice thing I’ve done for the day. Just earlier, I let this real headcase of a woman join me in my quarters for-”  
“Sod off, Malfoy. I really couldn’t care less. If you don’t mind, I’d like to get back to my friends.”  
I make to leave but he stands in front of me giving me that signature smirk. He leans in closer and his scent takes hold of me again. I couldn’t help but lean in slightly, just to drink in more of his cologne. His lips are close enough to my neck that when he speaks again, I can feel his breath ghost across my skin.   
“How are things with old Weaselbee anyway, Granger? Or are you still fucking with Krum? I haven’t kept up with you in a while, I’m a little behind.”  
“That’s none of your business, Malfoy. What business do you have keeping tabs on me, anyway?”  
His voice is almost a whisper now, “I think you owe me something nice for being so rude to me earlier, Granger.”  
Before I could say anything else, the doors to the Great Hall are thrown open by a drunken Seamus Finnigan, lugging out an equally drunk Neville Longbottom. After them is Harry, who appears to be in a similar state, and then Ginny.   
“Hermione, Harry and some of the guys had a little too much to drink, so I think I’m going to take them back to ours. Ron is still in there, though, and I’m sure he would love for you to at least say hi,” Ginny says to me.   
I give her a reluctant groan, but we both know that because this is Ginny, I’m going to do this. She smiles at me and guides the three drunk men to the nearest floo network and waves at me before disappearing. I find myself pulling the Hall doors open, but before I can step in, I feel Malfoy’s arm slip around my waist and pull me to him.  
“You’re not getting away that fast, Granger.”   
I quickly manage to untangle myself from his grasp, “Watch me.”  
I hear him chuckle as I slip into the crowd. I can hear music playing low in the background. When I finally break through the sea of people, I see a table in the corner and am relieved to see Ron sitting there, even though he’s alone. Slowly, I make my way over to the table and stand in front of him.  
“Hi, Ronald. Nice to see you,” I say to him, though what he’s wearing is shockingly similar to his Yule Ball attire   
He looks up at me, “Hermione, how are you?”  
He stands and greets me with an awkward hug. I hadn’t seen Ron in at least three years. Harry and Ginny frequented my place often enough and invited me to dinner, but last I heard, Ron had been running around with some Romanian woman who had managed to snatch up his heart. Part of me really hoped this was true, because the last time I had seen him in person, he was still trying to convince me that we could really work out if I’d give him a chance. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed by the feeling that someone was watching me. I searched the crowd over Ron’s shoulder and scanned the other corners I could see. I nearly missed him, standing in the corner opposite the one I currently occupied with Ron. Draco Malfoy. His eyes were focused and fixed on me, arms folded across his chest as he leaned on the wall. His lips curled into a grin as my eyes fell in line with his. I felt that betraying shiver run up my spine and turned into Ron’s body for comfort.  
“So, where’s Viktor this evening? I thought he’d at least accompany you to the reunion, since everyone’s pretty much expecting it of you,“ Ron addresses me. I can hear the agitation in his voice, and I’m beginning to dread the conversation I know is coming.  
“Viktor knows we have no appearance to keep up. Just because we have a child together doesn’t mean we have to parade around together all the time, Ronald. We’re friends and coparents, nothing more. Neither of us care much for the opinions of others, and we’re quite aware that many don’t approve that we aren’t married.”  
“Why didn’t you ever marry the bloke anyway, Hermione? A woman like you should be married.”  
“I’m not going to marry someone just because it’s what’s expected of me. You should know by now that I’m defined by much more than that.”  
I glare at him, feeling the frustrated heat build in my cheeks. He seems to relish this, trying to make me feel guilty for never giving him a chance, as though he were entitled to it for some reason.   
“Of course I’m aware that you try and avoid everything that’s expected of you, even if it’s inevitable. You know we belong together, Hermione. You know that you should be with me. We had the foundation to a perfect relationship already started, we were best friends, and you know you’re going to end up with me anyway, so I don’t see why you keep trying to prolong it!”  
“Oh, Ron, get ahold of yourself. This is getting old!” I yell back at him.   
“You’re torturing me, Hermione! It’s not fair! Why did you even have a child with Krum? You never loved him, you even said so. I know you’ve always wanted me. I know that deep down, a part of you has always loved me the way I’ve always loved you,” he sounds more like he’s trying to convince himself rather than me now.   
He was wrong though, and a part of me did feel guilty for misleading him all those years ago. I had brought this upon myself in a moment of weakness. I had been lonely and vulnerable, and so had he. It was right after Fred passed, and Harry had gone into the forest to meet Voldemort. Ron had wanted to get some air, and I wanted to find solace in a pair of familiar blue eyes and soft red hair that ran strong in the Weasley family. I thought that if I could just look into Ron’s eyes and maybe run my fingers through his hair, I’d feel the comfort I had last felt in my final moments with Fred before all of this madness. I thought that just for a moment, I could close my eyes and imagine that I was with Fred again, and somehow that would bring me closure; and maybe I could let our secret love drift away to join our secret kisses and stolen whispers the wind whisked away so long ago and all of my pain would be taken with it.  
It was in those few moments that I let Ron’s vulnerabilities and my own mingle together. It was then that I let Ron attach his heart to mine, knowing full well that I had no intention of ever reciprocating those feelings. I felt his emotion in the kiss he planted on my lips and the way his arms wrapped around me, and even then, I made no move to stop him. I was being selfish, and because of that, Ron was broken. I did feel guilty about it, and I felt guilty that I never told Ron why I let him kiss me that day. I left him in his vulnerable state with no explanation and no closure for either of us.  
I knew I owed him something, an explanation or an apology. Even if I couldn’t change what had been done, I could at least provide my old best friend some relief from this unending hurt I had caused him. Exhaling a deep and calming breath, I reached up to place my hand on his shoulder and looked in his eyes.   
“Ron, I-”  
I was cut off by someone approaching us from behind. I turned around, half expecting to be met by Draco Malfoy. The person I found standing there instead was Katie Bell.   
“Oh, hi, Katie. Nice to see you,” I greeted, but her attentions weren’t on me. It didn’t seem like she had even heard me at all, her eyes fixed on Ron.   
“Hello, Ron,” she smiled.   
“Erm, hi,” he said awkwardly.   
“I was wondering if you’d like to come drink a seat with me.”  
“Ex-excuse me?” Ron stuttered.  
“Come seat a drink with me?” Her face had turned nearly beet red with embarrassment.   
“Ron, I think Katie is trying to say that she’d like it very much if you would join her for a drink,” I say, gently nudging him with my elbow.   
I look over to Katie. She was laughing nervously and nodding her head. The innocence in her exchange with Ron was almost enough to make me laugh. Almost. If it hadn’t been for the realization that the feeling of excitement when standing on the edge of a potential romance is a feeling I’ve missed. If I hadn’t witnessed it here in the form of a partially tipsy Katie Bell, I would have sworn that that kind of feeling was long lost since the War. Somehow, it survived. Just not for me.  
As I watched Ron walk off with Katie, their hands interlaced, I couldn’t help but think back to some of the times I had spent with Fred, when things were innocent and fresh. It was during fifth year, when Harry was gone away with Dumbledore hunting down a horcrux and Ron was too busy snogging Lavender to notice my absence. That was when everything really started.   
I spent most of that year alone, just sort of going through the motions. All of my homework was surely caught up for the next month, and I’d spent so much time in the library that the librarian was beginning to get concerned for my health. On this particular day, she had flat out refused me admittance and told me simply to go outside, enjoy the day, and soak up some sun before I withered away. Though I had been tempted to fight her over it, I couldn’t resist the idea of a nice butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks and maybe a pastry from Honeyduke’s. Perhaps I would even buy myself a new book or nice sweater. When I arrived at the Three Broomsticks, pumpkin pasties in hand, I went over to the bar and ordered my butterbeer before heading to find a table for one in a back corner. I was sitting there reading and sipping my beverage, and might have been slightly buzzed from the ginger in my butterbeer, when Fred casually strolled up to join me. He quickly slammed his drink back and motioned for another before turning his attention to me.   
“Hello, Hermione,” he says.   
“Fred,” I greeted, “Are you okay?”  
“Georgie’s been so busy working on perfecting these enchanted fireworks for our joke shop that he hasn’t really had much time to get out and do much. I just wanted a little bit of fresh air, but he insisted on staying back in the dorms, so here I am, enjoying this lovely day all alone,” he explains, “That is, until I saw the brightest witch of her age, also sitting here enjoying the nice day, all on her own.”  
He smiles at me, and I couldn’t help but give him one back. His smile was the contagious kind. It didn’t matter who you were or what kind of mood you were in, when Fred walked in the room, the energy surrounding him lit up even the darkest of corners.   
“Yes, well Harry and Ronald haven’t exactly been around much these days. I can’t tell where Ron ends and Lavender begins,” I tell him.  
“Ickle Won Won is definitely the biggest prat in the wizarding world if he would rather run around with that dimbo instead of you, Hermione,” he stares at me sincerely.  
I can feel my cheeks burning red now, and if anyone ever asked me, I’d have blamed it on the butterbeer, but the truth was that I’d fancied Fred Weasley for the better part of the year. Somehow, we’d ended up spending more time together the last couple months. First, I thought it was because Harry and Ron weren’t around and he thought I’d needed a brotherly figure around, but things were slowly changing between us. He stood up to Draco Malfoy for making a snide comment about the squirrel’s nest on top of my head, and when he came back to my side, I remember feeling his arm snake around my waist and his hand resting ever so lightly on my hip. Ever since then, I’d noticed all the times he would subtly touch my hand or brush my cheek, sit closer to me in classes. Once at lunch, he even wrapped his legs around my feet. I hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but in that moment, staring into the redhead’s sea blue eyes, I was beginning to believe that maybe he liked me too.   
I laid my hand down on the table in front of me, tempting him to hold it.   
“I can see the dimwittedness doesn’t run in the family then, because you seem to have the right idea,” I teased.  
The bartender brought him another drink and a refill for mine, and we sat there for the next few hours drinking, talking, just enjoying each other’s company.  
The memory of Fred fades back slowly and I’m brought back to the present. I knew being back in Hogwarts would bring back memories, I only hoped I would be strong enough to push through my time here. Not that I intended on staying much longer anyway. I had done what Ginny asked, so why not just leave? I glanced across the Hall and my eyes found Ron. He’s already made himself a drink and is casually sipping away with Katie while she stares at him with puppy eyes. I can feel a bittersweet smile playing across my lips as I start for the nearest floo.   
“Going somewhere, Granger?” I hear Draco from behind me.   
“Yes. Home.”  
“Shame I brought another drink then.”  
I turn to face him, and as promised, he extends another glass to me. I accept, trying to avoid making too much eye contact.   
“Why are you suddenly being so nice to me, Malfoy? Weren’t you the one who used to call me… What was it, a filthy mudblood?” I growl at him.  
“People change, Granger. Surely you can understand that.”  
“Not so quickly. Your prejudices were rooted too deep. I can’t imagine they’ve just vanished because of one war a decade ago.”  
Draco downs his drink and instantly his glass refills. Whether or not the liquor is actually starting to kick in or not, I can’t tell.   
“My father and I fell off shortly after the war, though in all honesty, I think it happened long before that. Who really needs to harbor old prejudices when the ringleader of the whole charade is long gone?”   
He looks at me, pensive. I watch as his eyes follow the neckline of my dress all the way down, and a smirk stretches on his lips. Once again, I felt a nagging tingling sensation settling below my waist, stronger than it was before. He steps closer to me, and when I step back, the alcohol in the last couple drinks I had starts to catch up to me. I couldn’t tell which was having more of an effect on me - the alcohol, or his scent. My heel catches on the bottom of my dress, and I stumble back, nearly falling on my bottom.  
Before I think about what I was doing, my hands reached out and grasped onto the collar of his tux. I felt his arms lock around me and pull me against his body.   
“Careful there, Granger. I didn’t realize you were such a lightweight,” he chuckles.  
His lips grazed against my neck, sending delicious chills to every sensitive receptor they could find. His cologne wrapped around my senses, and I could feel his fingers at the small of my back rubbing in slow, soothing circles. I almost felt as though I were in a trance. My hands gripped his shirt tighter as he moved himself closer to me. It was only when I felt a twitch against my belly that I realized that we were still unnecessarily close. Feeling disgusted that I had let him so near to me, I pushed him off.   
“Keep your distance, Malfoy, and keep your wandering fingers to yourself!” I spat at him. “I may have had a few drinks, but not nearly enough to fall for your bullshit.”  
He just stood there smirking at me. Part of me wanted to slap him for the audacity. Part of me wanted to shrivel up and crawl into a hole for actually enjoying the company of Draco sodding Malfoy and the way his filthy sodding hands had felt on me, and the stupid sodding look in his ridiculously silver eyes . Determined, I wheeled myself around and headed as quickly as I could to the floo network.


	3. Bad Intentions

I woke early the next morning and was surprised to feel the weight of someone sitting on the edge of my bed and warmth surrounding my feet. I leaned up and met Viktor’s hazel eyes. Immediately, I could sense there was something wrong with him. The usual spark that was ever present in his eyes was gone. There was no goofy grin, no dimples in his cheeks. His whole demeanor just seemed wilted.   
“Viktor, are you alright? What are you doing here so early? Is Antoni okay?”  
“Antoni is fine,” he replies, his voice stern.  
“Then what’s wrong?”   
I lean closer to him and run my fingers through his hair, as I usually do to comfort him. He flinches at my touch and shifts away from me. We stay silent for a few moments, listening to Antoni’s cartoons from the living room. His excited giggles seem to echo throughout my room, and a feeling of immense dread settles in my bones. I wasn’t going to like this conversation.   
“Viktor, if something is bothering you, I need you to please talk with me about it so we can work through it together. You always talk to me.”  
“Hermione, is there something you wanna tell me?” He finally speaks.  
“What do you mean? You know if there’s anything going on, you will always be the first person I come to,” I reassure him.   
“Did anything happen at your reunion last night?” His eyes lock onto mine.  
“I went. Harry, Seamus, and Neville got drunk in the first half hour. I spoke with Ron, had a few drinks, and I left.”  
“Ron Weasley? I thought you two weren’t on speaking terms, Hermione. What else am I missing?”  
“No, no, it wasn’t like that. You know Ronald is an old friend, and I think he actually hit things off fairly well with an old schoolmate last night. Don’t you even go making assumptions about Ron Weasley and me because if I had ever wanted him, I would have had him and he would still be mine now. So, if that’s what this is about, Viktor, I think you need to rethink what you’re asking me. You already know the answer to that.”   
I crossed my arms and waited for him to respond. At first I thought he was going to get up and leave, but instead he reached around to his back pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a rolled up newspaper. Of course it was the Daily Prophet. Sighing, I took it from him and read the latest headline from this morning:

Minister of Magic dating ex Death Eater?  
“Hermione Jean Granger, ex fiancee to Bulgarian Quidditch player Viktor Krum, member of the Golden Trio, and Minister of Magic was seen last night at her ten year class reunion at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry snogging ex Death Eater and current CEO of Malfoy Industries, Draco Lucius Malfoy. Reporters on scene were in absolute shock to see the pair hitting it off so suddenly, and it has everyone questioning: What has the Minister been up to behind the scenes, and what does this mean for our Ministry? Can Hermione be trusted-”

“Viktor, it’s not what it looks like, honestly.”  
I’m telling him this, and even as the words are leaving my mouth, as I stare at the picture of Draco holding me so close to him after I nearly fell, even I’m not entirely convinced that there wasn’t something going on. I stared at the picture, at how close we were last night, and I could almost feel his lips against the sensitive pulse point on my neck.   
“Then what is it, Hermione? I see the two of you in that picture, and you look extremely comfortable being that close to that… That disgusting blond haired scum! His grimy hands are all over you, Death Eater filth. You would do this to me? For him?”   
His voice cracked and when I looked back into his eyes, I saw the tears welling up, and my heart fell.   
“Viktor, listen to me. There is nothing going on with Draco and me. I fell, and he was just there to catch me. It’s not what it looks like. You know how the Prophet lies and makes up a bunch of nonsense! Honestly, do you even remember the piece Rita Skeeter wrote about us during the TriWizard Tournament?”  
“Look at you, Hermione, clinging to him. They cannot fake that!”  
“They are twisting what happened in that photograph to match the lies they’ve printed. This is ridiculous, honestly! And even if I were seeing someone, what would it matter? You and I are coparents, friends. We are no longer in the sort of relationship that dictates me having to tell you what, or as a matter of fact, who I do!”   
A small whimper comes from the bedroom door, and we both look over to see Antoni standing in the doorway. His little frame was beginning to shake with fright. He had never, in his eight years, seen Mummy and Daddy yell at each other. Viktor and I look at each other and silently decide this is no longer the time or place for our argument. I sigh and hold my arms out for Antoni to join me on the bed. He slowly pads across the floor and looks between the two of us before climbing up.  
Viktor reaches out and tussles his thick, curly, brown hair.  
“What’s the matter, Antoni?” He asks.   
“You and Mummy are fighting with your big voices, Daddy. Why?”   
“I’m sorry, Toni. Daddy didn’t mean to use his big voice. Please don’t be scared. Everything is going to be alright,” Viktor comforts him, each of us running a hand up and down his back.   
We had always promised each other that our child would never have to see any of our arguments, and as neither of us have ever really fought with each other, we had never anticipated what would happen if he did.   
“Antoni, how about you run along to the kitchen while I get dressed, and I’ll make your favorite blueberry pancakes for breakfast, hm?” I asked, kissing him on the cheek.   
His face lights up immediately.   
“Really? For sure?” He asks happily.  
“Of course! Just let me get dressed first. You can even flip the pancakes if you want to!”  
He squeals with excitement and dashes off into the kitchen, leaving the two of us behind to figure out what we were going to make of our first fight.   
“Hermione, I don’t want to fight with you. Not right now, not in front of our son. I apologize for yelling.”  
“I’m sorry for yelling too, Viktor, but we can get back to this later. I know you’re upset. We need to talk about this, but I need you to understand that I’ve never kept anything from you, out of respect.”  
Viktor leaves, and I change into a pair of black skinny jeans and white button up shirt. After a last look in the mirror, I decide to run my brush through my hair and head into the kitchen.   
“I already laid everything out for you, Mum!” Antoni exclaims excitedly.   
“That’s my big boy, always my little helper,” I kiss his forehead and start to get everything together.   
“Did you get to see all of your friends last night, Mummy? Daddy told me you went back to school for a meeting and lots of people you knew when you were a kid were there.”  
“Yes, baby. I got to see plenty of old friends last night, and we all had so much fun!”  
“You liked Hogwarts, didn’t you, Mum?”  
“Oh, yes, that’s where I met your daddy, your Uncle Harry, and Aunt Ginny. You wouldn’t believe all the things we used to get ourselves into back then.”  
“You told me you spent most of your time in the library!”   
“I did, but of course I did other things too, silly goose.”   
Too many things that I could never tell you about until you’re older, is what I wanted to tell him.   
“Hey, Mum?”   
“Hm?”  
“Do you think I’ll make lots of friends when I go to Hogwarts too? Do you think I’ll be good at riding a broom like Daddy, or am I going to be a bookworm like you?”   
I laughed, but when I looked back at him, I could see the nervous look in Antoni’s eyes. He was such an inquisitive child, and I never doubted for a minute just how talented and loved he would be. There was also no doubt about all the trouble he’d inevitably find himself in running around with Teddy Lupin and Albus Potter. Thinking about it, though, these are the things I would rather he spent his childhood doing. Not having to worry about a huge wizard war and impending doom, fighting for survival, all the anxieties and stress that came from never knowing if you’d hear about your friends or family being dead over the radio, always on the run. No, I would much rather his biggest worry at Hogwarts be which spot he’ll get on the Quidditch team, or finishing an essay on time, passing his OWLs, or which pretty girl would be lucky enough to accompany him to Hogsmeade. I wouldn’t change a thing from my childhood, because it guaranteed a safer future for Antoni, but I would hope he never has to go through the things we all did back then. I would rather I went through it than he did.  
“I don’t see why you can’t do both,” I eventually responded. “I have no doubts you’ll make tons of friends along the way as well, and you’ll be starting with Albus. Teddy will be there too. I know how much you like them.”  
“But, Mum, what if we don’t all make it into the same House?”  
“Your house doesn’t matter, son. What matters is how you treat people, no matter who they are or what house they’re in. You’re my sweet little boy, though, and that’s how I know everyone is going to love you.”  
“Is it my turn to flip the pancakes now?” Antoni asks, eagerly skipping over to the stove. He loves cooking with me the muggle way.   
After breakfast, I dropped Antoni off with Ginny for the day and apparated back to the house for a brief moment of peace before I went into work to face what I knew would be hordes of paparazzi. Everyone would be prying, trying to figure out what on Earth I was doing with Malfoy. I wasn’t even prepared for how I would answer any of those questions. Groaning, I grabbed my bag, pulled on some shades, and apparated.   
The Ministry was, as expected, in an uproar. As soon as I arrived, dozens of reporters appeared at my side, barking questions, taking pictures, all surrounding me.   
“Minister,” one woman shouted, “is it true you and Draco Malfoy are dating now? How long has this been going on?”  
Another one, “Minister Granger, is it true that you left Viktor Krum for Mr. Malfoy all those years ago?’  
“Are you sure that Viktor is even the father to your son?”  
“Minister, how do we know that we can trust you when you’re dating a former Death Eater?”  
I groaned and tried to push my way through the crowd. It was way too early for this nonsense. I finally made it to a clearing, and was about to bolt when I saw him standing there with his striking blond hair. Draco Malfoy. Almost instantly, I heard another reporter shouting.  
“Mr. Malfoy, how long have you been in love with Hermione Granger?”  
“Draco! Over here, tell us, what are your plans for the Ministry once Ms. Granger resigns? Are you taking her position?”  
“Mr. Malfoy, is it true that you’ve liked Hermione ever since you were in Hogwarts together? How did that effect your relationship with your family?”  
The crowd parted as Malfoy strode over to my side. Naturally, they would, as they were all simply dying to get even more scandalous pictures of the two of us together. Knowing him, I was anticipating he’d want to give them a show.   
“Hello, Hermione. So good to see you again,” he says to me with a wink, “You managed to escape me last night so I just knew I needed to surprise you at work. Maybe we can pick up where we left off.”  
I felt my face flush red. Whether it was anger, anticipation, or embarrassment, I wasn’t sure. And who was he to address me by my first name rather than my last, or as the Minister?  
“Malfoy, we have nothing to pick up,” I said, turning to face some of the reporters who were surrounding us, “There’s nothing going on between myself and Mr. Malfoy. If you’d all please excuse me, I have work to do!”  
Draco’s arm wrapped around my waist, and made a show of smiling at some of the cameras being shoved in our faces. I shoved his arm off of me and proceeded to try and make my way through once again.   
“Minister, can we get a picture of you and Mr. Malfoy?”  
“Hermione, you can’t hide your relationship with Draco Malfoy! Everyone already knows he’s your boyfriend!”  
“Minister, how could you date an ex Death Eater and still show your face in public? Doesn’t everything he’s done mean anything to you?”  
“Ms. Granger, should we even trust your judgement anymore, when you would date someone as awful as a Malfoy?”  
I felt my blood start to boil. I knew the press could be relentless, but this was just going too far. I looked back to Malfoy, and I could sense the change in his demeanor. His smile was faltering, and I could tell that even though he was expecting negative backlash, it was starting to get to him. In that moment, I took pity on him. He really had only been a child just like the rest of us during the time of war. He may have been on the wrong side, but did that really mean he was such a terrible person deep down now? He was still just as arrogant and cocky as the Malfoy I remember. He was still just as irritating and rude and charismatic. He was still Malfoy, but it had been over a decade, and there was no evidence that he was the foul, evil person the press was making him out to be. The fact that he, too, was only just a kid like the rest of us reverberated through my head over and over again.  
I turned back to the reporters.  
“Keep in mind that the real person you have to blame for Draco’s actions was actually his father, Lucius Malfoy. He was a child, and I’m sure he had choices to make, just as the rest of us did. It has been over ten years. People change,” I yelled. “And he is not my boyfriend!”   
I heard more shouting around me, but this time, it wasn’t from reporters so much as Aurors, who were now very swiftly breaking it all up. Harry made his way up to me, a huge smile on his face. He greeted me with a side hug and kept his arm over my shoulder to guide me to my office.  
“Harry! Thank Merlin, you’re here!” I exclaim.   
“I figured you could use some help,” he grinned at me, “and it’s only natural that the best Auror around step in and save the day.”  
I heard a scoff from behind me, and neither of us had to turn around to know who it was.   
“Malfoy, I don’t know what you’re doing here, but I think you’ve had enough fun for the day. Why don’t you head back to your manor and let the professionals deal with this, hm?” Harry addressed him.   
“Sod off, Potter. As much as I enjoyed the public spectacle, I actually did come to speak with Granger.”  
“That’s the Minister of Magic to you, Malfoy! Show some respect. And she won’t be taking any meetings today. Come back some other time. Like never.”  
“Why don’t you show some respect, Potter? I am still your superior.”  
“Did you like being a ferret, Malfoy? I can definitely make arrangements for you to be transformed in a more permanent fashion.”  
“Zip it, Scarhead. I’m sure you’d have to have Granger help you perform that curse anyway, just like she had to help with all of your and Weaselbee’s homework back at Hogwarts just so you could pass. I’m shaking,” Malfoy says, rolling his eyes.  
We finally made it to my office, and before I walked in, I turned to both of them.   
“You two, behave. Leave your petty childhood grievances at the door, and step into my office as adults. If you can’t manage that, you may both excuse yourselves. I won’t say it twice. I’ve had enough bullshit for one day.”  
“But, Hermione-” Harry started.  
I held up my hand to stop him.  
“Harry, you’re my best friend, like a brother to me, and I love you, and I’m so thankful for your help today, but now is not the time, nor the place.”  
“Don’t make me vomit with all this mush,” Draco spat, “I rather enjoyed my breakfast this morning.”  
Harry turned to him, and before he could say anything more, I told him, “Harry, I’d love to join you and Gin for dinner this evening. Viktor’s been wanting to see the kids again, if that’s alright?”  
He sighed, and I could see him swallowing down his pride and silently thanked Merlin for giving him the strength.   
“Sure, ‘Mione. See you later then.”  
I turned to Draco, “And you. Are you coming in, or are you going to try and fight your way through the masses down there again? Doesn’t matter to me either way, I just don’t want any reporters to think my open door is an invitation to come invading my privacy again.”  
Once again, Malfoy was smirking. He strolled by me, purposefully brushing against me as he went. Once the door was secure, I took a seat in front of him and waited.   
“I’ll be honest with you, Granger, I didn’t think I’d make it this far. I didn’t have much of a plan for when I finally made it in your office,” he says to me, and I notice his eyes roaming over my chest again.   
“You just wanted to walk up in here and give the reporters something to get worked up about, didn’t you? As if they wouldn’t already have enough false evidence from last night.”   
I rolled my eyes in annoyance. I shouldn’t have expected anything less of him. Now that I put it into words, it seemed like such a typical Malfoy thing to do. Always needed to be the center of attention. Check that off on my mental list of things that still hadn’t changed about him.   
“I suppose I could say I came to your office to thank you for standing up for me out there. It was really a heart warming performance you gave out there, about people changing and my father being held accountable for my actions.”  
“I do believe that people can change, Malfoy. I’m just not sure whether or not you can change,” I stated bluntly, holding his gaze.   
His scent had started to fill up the room from the moment he stepped in, and now it felt like it was launching a full assault on all of my senses. The air around us grew warm, and I knew my face must have been a lovely shade of pink by now. The now familiar tingly sensation I seemed to experience every time he came around was starting to simply irritate me, and I was pretty sure it was because I hadn’t gotten any relief since the first time it happened. I hadn’t gotten any kind of physical, or sexual, relief in years, actually. The last time, it had been with Viktor, maybe a year and a half after I officially broke off the engagement. After that, we agreed that it would be for the best if we maintained a strictly platonic relationship, no sex allowed. It just made things too complicated.   
“Oh, please, Granger. If you had so many doubts about me, I’m sure you would’ve thrown the first drink I gave you in my face and walked off. I half expected you to do just that, actually, but you’ve always been someone to give even the shittiest people the benefit of the doubt.”  
“Well, if that’s all you came here for, I think it would be best if you leave. I expect there will be no more public scenes after today, Malfoy.”  
“Is that an invitation to join you in your private quarters for any future exchanges?”   
He’s smirking as he says this, and his eyes seem to darken. I noticed a dampness forming between my thighs.   
“That would be inappropriate, Malfoy.”  
I stood back up and started to move toward the door to see him out, but he positioned his body in front of mine. Once again, I found myself standing much too close to him for comfort. He leans in.  
“How would it be inappropriate for a grown man to accompany his girlfriend back to hers for a little one on one action, Granger?”  
“First and foremost, I am not your girlfriend.”  
“The press already believes it, and you’re already taking the heat for it. It’s not like it could cause anymore damage than it has at this point, and hell, maybe if we just told them they were right, they’d get bored and back off.”  
I laughed. Not because anything he had just said sounded funny, either, but because it actually made sense. I laughed because of all of the tension I was beginning to feel building in my core, the almost mind-numbing need for friction in sensitive spots. I had barely been around the man for an hour and felt like the threads holding together my self control were starting to come undone. I wouldn’t succumb so easily though. I was determined that I would be caught dead before I slept with Draco Malfoy.   
Only a visually impaired person would be able to say he wasn’t attractive, though. Everything from the roots of his hair down to the tips of his toes emanated an undeniably sexy masculinity. All of his clothes seemed to be perfectly tailored to him, showing off his broad shoulders and lean, toned figure. While I’d only ever admit to myself that I had always thought he was attractive, there was definitely something about him being older, more mature, that really piqued my interest.   
Nevertheless, he was still Draco Malfoy, and looks aren't everything. It was really a shame that they were the only thing he had going for him so far.   
“My second point is that, even if you were to have abandoned old blood prejudices, there is absolutely no way you’re far enough away from them to be able to take a muggle-born as your girlfriend,” I told him matter-of-factly.   
“There you go assuming things you know nothing about, Granger. You said yourself, it’s been a decade and people change. You’ve always given people the benefit of the doubt, and yet here you are, and you’re so reluctant to give me a chance,” as he says this, he brushes a lock of hair behind my ear.   
I find myself staring into Malfoy’s deep silver eyes. His hand lingers, sitting softly on the back of my head. Slowly, he trails his fingers down the back of my neck, his touch so soft and gentle it brought goosebumps. He brings his hand around to caress my cheek. I turn my face into his hand and allow my eyes to close, just savoring the way it felt to have someone touch me again in such an intimate way. It had been too long, and the evidence of that was too painfully obvious. I felt his fingers move down my jawline, and he cups my chin. I hear the shuffle of his feet as he takes another step toward me, wrapping his arm around my waist.   
“See, Granger, part of you wants to embrace me, to give me a chance,” Malfoy says in a low voice, “Part of you simply wants me.”  
His words snap me back to reality. I silently cursed myself for even allowing things to get this far, how quickly and easy he was able to weasel his way under my skin. I refuse to believe I had gotten so desperate. What was it about him that made me feel so sexually vulnerable? I felt pathetic, and disgusted. My eyes snapped open, and I was sure he knew what was coming next. He sighed.   
“Malfoy, remove your hands. If you have no further business to discuss with me as your Minister, you may feel free to leave. I have other things to attend to.”  
“Oh, Minister, you’re becoming predictable. It’s a shame. I was hoping you’d surprise me this time,” he laughs, “You do still owe a favor.”  
“Excuse me?”  
“I told you, Granger. Before we entered the Great Hall, I told you you owed me something nice for being so rude.”  
I laughed this time.   
“Malfoy, I owe you nothing, and if I’m ever rude to anyone, it’s because they’ve solicited such a response,” I opened the door for him to leave, “Have a nice day.”  
He pauses before walking out the door to look at me, as though he’s waiting on me to reconsider. Not a chance, ferret. I offered him a smile and shut the door behind him.  
Luckily, by the time I left my office, it was late enough at night that the majority of the press had retired for the day, and I was able to sneak out without being seen. It was so late, in fact, that I made it to Harry and Ginny’s nearly an hour later than normal.  
When I walked into the kitchen, Harry, Ginny, Antoni, Teddy, Albus, Viktor, and Lilly were already settled down with their plates and had started to eat.   
“Hermione!’ Ginny exclaimed. “I was wondering if you were still going to show up. We saved you a seat just in case.”  
“I’m so sorry, Gin. The press was a crazy mess today, and I thought it best to wait until most of them cleared out before I left.”  
I glanced over at Viktor, knowing things were still tense after our fight this morning. It seemed like so long ago now, though. Ginny waved me over to the empty spot next to my ex fiance, and we ate in a mostly comfortable silence. I looked over at Viktor while Harry rambled on about small things going on in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Mostly things I already knew about, like the kid who turned his Muggle neighbor’s nose into a pig nose because he was a squealer. Apparently that meant he was a tattletale.   
After a moment, his eyes met mine. We stared at each other for a few brief seconds before he let out a sigh and gave me a small smile. From under the table, he intertwined his fingers in mine. An immense feeling of relief washed over me, matched with an equally immense feeling of dread because I knew there was still a talk we needed to have later. I decided to just cherish this moment while it lasted.   
After dinner, Ginny took all the kids into the den while Harry and I rounded up the dishes and Viktor emptied the trash bin.   
“Hermione, I need to ask you something, but I want you to know that i’m on your side,” Harry says to me.   
“What is it, Harry?”  
“What’s going on between you and Malfoy? If you tell me nothing is going on, I’ll take your word for it. I just have to ask because.. Well, because it doesn’t seem like it’s nothing. The way he was acting today, that photo of the two of you in the Prophet, and I saw him step into your office after I left.”  
“Harry,” I sighed, “I can promise you that the Prophet was lying. Before the class reunion, I hadn’t seen Malfoy since the War. I know that picture looked misleading, but the honest truth is that my heel caught on my dress and I slipped, and he stopped me from falling. The two of us were talking, yes, and we had a couple of drinks, but that’s all it was.”  
“What on earth were you doing sharing a drink with him anyway, Hermione? He’s our old enemy! Have you forgotten how he used to make all our lives miserable as hell?”  
“It’s not that I’ve forgotten anything he’s done, Harry, but we went through a War. When I think back to our times in Hogwarts, the thing that stands out the most to me was all the time we spent preparing for the biggest fight of our lives. I think about Dumbledore’s Army, and I think about hunting horcruxes. I think about my friends who’ve died. I think about practicing in the Room of Requirement for hours, and getting through Devil’s Snare in our first year, being petrified by the basilisk from the Chamber of Secrets. I think about being on the run and getting captured by Snatchers. I think about what Bellatrix carved onto my arm that day and the feeling of the knife that killed poor Dobby piercing my flesh.”   
I paused here and looked down at the scar on my arm and noticed I had absent-mindedly been running my fingers over it. The thought of what happened that day still made me flinch. I’d never forget her screechy voice, or how raw my throat felt from screaming.  
“When I think of all of those things, and so many other hardships we have overcome in our lives, anything Draco Malfoy could have done to us pales in comparison.”  
Harry was silent while he let my words sink in. I loved that he was always willing to listen and understand. He was never very close-minded, no matter the case. That was one of my favorite things about him. He at least always tried to see it from a different perspective.   
“Harry, I know that he was a terrible, mean person in school, but we’re all adults now. I have to hope that we can move past small things like a childhood bully, because I know I damn sure didn’t fight and live through the biggest wizarding war in the century just to come out of it harboring ill feelings, prejudices, or grudges. We fought too hard for a better future. You can’t make a better future for yourself if you’re still holding onto petty things from the past.”  
Harry took a bottle of bourbon down from the cabinet and two glasses, and nodded to me to sit with him at the table. Perhaps this conversation would be a little longer than I had originally thought. He takes a long sip from his glass and looks at me.  
“But have you forgiven him for calling you that terrible name? Making fun of your hair and teeth?”  
“Honestly? I think the way he looked at me the night of the Yule Ball makes up for any of the comments he had ever made on my appearance. His jaw practically hit the floor,” I said with a smirk, “And let’s not forget that I was the one that Viktor bloody Krum asked to accompany him to the dance, of all the girls. He could have asked one of those lovely Beauxbatons girls all the other boys drooled over. But did he? No, he chose me. Furthermore, I recall Draco attended alone.”  
“Unless you count his two ridiculous cronies,” Harry laughed.  
We both finished off our drinks and I used wandless magic to refill them. Harry and I had spent too many nights in the kitchen drinking for one of us not to have picked up this little trick.   
Viktor knocked on the wall behind us to announce his presence and Harry motioned for him to join us. He summoned a glass and poured himself a drink. I took this time to really look at him. I thought back to the Yule Ball, how excited I had been when he asked me to go with him, and how secretly proud I was. He was a champion Quidditch player, a celebrity, and so very handsome. He still is, actually. Ten years hadn’t changed him much, except these days he usually had more stubble.   
I thought back to the way he had smiled at me when he first saw me in my periwinkle dress, back when the world only knew me as Hermione Granger, bookworm and irritating know-it-all. He still chose me that night, and has chosen me every night since. We had so much potential back then, yet I never would have imagined he would be the future father to my child. I never thought we’d be engaged, living together, raising a son together. I frowned. I never could understand why I never truly fell in love with Viktor. It wasn’t as though I didn’t try, but love isn’t something you should have to force. If it doesn’t come naturally, it’s probably best to leave it alone. So many women over the years have told me how lucky I was to have him.   
Even Ginny had told me once that it seemed as though it were obvious to everyone except me just how perfect we were together and how beautifully we fit. That was before I broke down sobbing in this very same chair I sat in now, Ginny in front of me, wishing I could give him all the love he deserved.   
She was one of the very few people that knew of my relationship with Fred, and I think that’s why she never judged me for not being able to love anyone else properly. She never held it against me once she realized how broken up I still was about it. She knew I was still healing when Viktor and I got together. Ginny was one of the only people in the world I never had to explain myself to. She just understood.   
“Dinner was great, Harry,” Viktor said, “I’m just glad you managed not to burn anything this time!”  
Harry’s face flushed pink.  
“That happened one time! And to be fair, Hermione usually helps Ginny cook when she’s coming for dinner. Since she was, understandably, late, I thought I would help, like the wonderful husband I am!”  
The three of us spent the next couple hours sitting at the table drinking, laughing, talking about good times. It had been way too long since any of us had let loose and really enjoyed a night together. Unfortunately it had to come to an end though, and around ten o’clock, Viktor stood to retrieve Antoni so he could help us home.  
“I think it’s about time I got these two home, Harry. It’s past Antoni’s bedtime.”  
Harry, nearly blackout drunk by this point, stood to shake Viktor’s hand.  
“Of course! Merlin, I hadn’t noticed how late it’s gotten! Well, you know, time flies when you’re flying time,” Harry manages.  
“You mean when you’re having fun?” I asked, laughing.  
“We are having fun, Hermione! It’s been a blast. We should definitely-” Harry pauses to hiccup, “do this again soon!”  
“Good night, Harry,” Viktor says.  
“Ah, yes, my beautiful wife is probably in bed waiting on me.”  
With that, Harry’s mouth curves into a disturbingly naughty smile and runs off to his bedroom. I look at Viktor who’s now carrying our son on his hip, watching Harry with an almost heartbroken look on his face. He turns to me with a small smile, and I see that Antoni had fallen fast asleep with his head on his daddy’s shoulder, and I couldn’t help but smile. He extends his arm to me, and I let him pull me in close so he could guide the three of us to the floo. When we emerge from the fires into my living room, I watch as Viktor carries our son to his bedroom to put him down. When he returns, I’m standing in the doorway of my bedroom. I beckon him inside.   
“Viktor, I think I need help changing,” I say.  
It was true, I could barely see straight and everything was blurring together. I had definitely had more to drink at Harry’s than I thought. I was amazed at the fact that I could even stand up straight. Viktor laughed and made his way over to me.  
He seemed nervous to touch me for the first time again in years. I couldn’t help but find his hesitation slightly amusing.  
“Why are you laughing, Hermione?” he asks me.  
Between fits of giggles I explain to him, “You have seen me naked so many times. You know every inch and every crevice of my body better than even I do, I think, and yet your approach to me is that of a teenage boy that’s about to lose his virginity all over again. You act like you’re afraid of me, Viktor.”  
He laughed and reached out to grab the hem of my shirt, and I could feel his fingers grazing against my skin as he slowly pulled it over my head. He turned around and made to go to the closet, but I grabbed his arm and spun him back around.  
“I need help taking everything off, Viktor.”  
“Hermione, let me get a shirt for you at least,” he almost pleaded.  
I shook my head and pouted. I stumbled and grabbed onto his shoulder, laughing.   
“I don’t need a shirt right now! I’m hot, and I would like to please be naked. I can’t do it on my own!”  
For a moment, he just stood there staring at me and I thought he’d leave me like that. I was absolutely sure if he did, I’d pass out right there on the floor. Thankfully, he moved closer to me and moved one of his hands around to unclasp my bra. He hesitated, but his skilled fingers released my bra in one swift movement and it fell off my shoulders and tumbled to the floor. I was suddenly aware of the cool air in my room when my nipples tingled and hardened. I refused to cover myself though, and I blamed it on all of the alcohol in my system giving me a surge of confidence.   
Viktor being the ever respectable man that he was, he maintained eye contact with me as his hands roamed down my back, around my hips, to the button on my pants. I could feel his hands trembling as he fumbled to unbutton them. I broke into another fit of giggling and felt the tension in the room soften around us. Admittedly, it was strange letting him touch me again after all this time. We had agreed so long ago that it was for the best that we didn’t put ourselves in any more risky situations, but the only reason I agreed to it was because I knew it hurt him. To him, it meant that maybe there was hope for us. This would have to be an exception, though.   
Viktor slowly tugged my pants down my legs, keeping his hazel eyes locked on mine the whole time.   
“Lift your foot, ‘Mione,” he instructed me.  
I lifted my foot, but it turned out to be a mistake because I brought it up too fast and ended up tripping and falling straight onto Viktor’s back. Luckily I was light enough that he could easily maneuver my body onto the floor. He leaned over me, his face concerned.   
“Are you alright?” He asked me.  
All I could do was laugh. He grabbed my face in his hands and looked into my eyes. I smiled at him to reassure him that I was okay. I couldn’t help but admire how he was always so gentle when he handled me. He was caring and kind, and so handsome.   
“I am perfect! I thought you knew that, Mr. Krum. I’m Hermione Granger, for Merlin’s sake!”   
“Yes, you are,” he smiles.   
“Please take my pants off,” I beg.  
He maneuvers himself back down between my thighs and slides my pants off. Without thinking, I’m wrapping my legs around his waist and pulling him flush against my body. Instantly, I feel his hard length straining beneath the buckle of his pants. One of his hands tangles in my curls while the other traces circles on my bare thigh. I bring my mouth up to meet his, and he doesn’t resist. Instead, he grinds himself into me and I can’t fight the moan that escapes my throat. Our kiss deepens, my hands are running through his hair, and I don’t care about the consequences that’ll surely come tomorrow.   
His hand cups my breast and rolls my nipple around between his fingers. He had always known exactly how to touch me. I could already feel the wetness in my panties. Part of me had ached for so long to be touched like this again, to be touched by Viktor, and I knew he felt the same. It was obvious in the way he kissed me and took his time exploring my body, like it was the first time all over again. I could feel his heart pounding in his chest, matching the rhythm to my own.   
It was over too soon though. Viktor tore himself out of my grasp and pulled himself up to his feet.   
“What are you doing?” I asked him.  
“You’re drunk, Hermione.”  
He almost looks disappointed.  
“So? Just because I’m drunk doesn’t mean that I don’t want to have sex with you, for Merlin’s sake. We are adults, Viktor. We are allowed to do what we want.”  
“Let me help you to bed. I need to be getting home. It’s late,” he says, extending his hand to me.   
I grab his hand and try to pull him back down, but he’s too strong, and I’m on my feet stumbling and naked. He lifts me up bridal style and carries me to my bed and gently lays me down.   
“Good night. I’ll see you later.”  
I don’t have time to get another word in because he disappears into the living room. The very drunk part of me wanted to follow him and demand that he come back. The rational part of me knew that wouldn’t be a good idea for a number of reasons. So I laid there and waited for sleep to carry me away. Just as I was drifting off, I heard my window opening and an owl fluttering in to drop off a letter.


	4. Diagon Alley

When I woke up the next morning, my head was pounding. I wasn’t completely sure how I had gotten stripped down to my underwear. The only thing I did remember was that Viktor had helped me home from Harry’s. I remembered him tucking in Antoni but anything after that was mostly one big blur. Trying to remember much else made my head throb even harder.   
I crawled out of bed and padded over to the bathroom sink, where I knew I had a potion to help alleviate the pain, though it would still take a few minutes to kick in. After drinking my hangover cure, I decided I’d probably feel better if I took a shower. I stripped off my underwear and turned on the faucet so the water could preheat, then made my way over to the closet to pick out some clothes for the day.   
Walking past my window, I realized I felt a slight breeze and when I turned to close it, I noticed the letter that had apparently been brought in last night, presumably after I fell asleep. The writing on the envelope held no familiarity to me, so I opened it cautiously.

Granger,  
Meet me for lunch today in Diagon Alley around eleven. The press won’t be expecting us there.  
Looking forward to seeing you,  
D. Malfoy

I glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost noon. Part of me wanted to go strictly out of curiosity. Why was he all of a sudden inviting me to have lunch with him? I was also pretty sure he suggested we should just date and let the press do with it what they would. As if that weren’t strange enough, he definitely seemed to have no respect for personal space or boundaries.   
I thought back to when we first saw each other outside the Great Hall, how close he got to me as though it were the most natural thing in the world. As though he had never thought I was a shameful disgrace to the wizarding world, with my tainted blood and Muggle parents. It had been a decade since the War, and in all of that time, he never bothered to make amends with me. Not until now.   
I wanted to believe that maybe Malfoy himself wasn’t so bad deep down and that he only treated everyone as though they were beneath him because it was expected of him. He was a Pureblood, one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. They prided themselves on their heritage and maintaining a clean lineage. Being born into a family like that surely came with a heavy weight of responsibility and expectations to live up to. To go against them would mean you were an outcast, and seeing how his mother could easily turn a cold shoulder on her own sister must’ve been awful for Draco to witness at such a young age. The entirety of the Malfoy family pretended Andromeda didn’t exist, tried to keep the whole situation covered up to hide their shame. The only reason I even knew about it was because I was the Minister of Magic.   
There was a fine line between what I wanted to believe and what was the truth, though. Not everything had a silver lining. It was possible that you were either light or dark, black or white. To the Malfoys, if you weren’t pure, you were unworthy and filthy. I knew I needed to consider the fact that Draco could’ve been just like the rest of them and maybe he didn’t deserve the benefit of the doubt.   
I remembered Draco telling me his father was no longer a part of his life anymore. He had said it so casually, almost like he’d been practicing it. Suspicion creeped in and settled itself in the back of my mind. I decided that maybe I should meet with Malfoy. Not today, though. Today I just wanted to spend some time with Antoni before Viktor took him back home to visit with his family.  
I turned to my closet and pulled out a brown jumper and black skinny jeans to wear with my tan flats. As I strolled into the bathroom and entered the shower, it dawned on me that Malfoy was probably still sitting at the restaurant waiting on me to show up. I couldn’t help but laugh as the thought bounced around in my head.  
The sound of the front door closing alerted me that Viktor had arrived. I heard Antoni’s excited squeal from the living room.  
“Daddy!”  
“How’s my little champion?” Viktor’s voice echoed through the shower.   
I twisted my body around to grab the shampoo behind me and felt a pain in my ankle I hadn’t noticed before. I knew I hadn’t had it yesterday, so it must’ve happened at some point last night while I was drunk. I close my eyes and start to lather my hair, and that was when a memory flashed behind my lids. I could hear my laughter as a distant echo in my head. Above it, Viktor’s voice, asking if I’m okay. He was leaning over me for some reason, and we were laying on the floor. I assume that would explain the pain in my ankle. I probably twisted it and fell. When I hear myself telling Viktor to take my pants off, a hot blush fills my chest and face.  
Please tell me we didn’t sleep together. Please tell me we didn’t. Oh Merlin, Hermione! I think to myself.  
I remember Viktor positioning himself between my thighs and pulling my pants down, and then pulling him to me, and kissing him.  
As quickly as I could, I rinsed my hair out so I could open my eyes and escape the flashbacks. Guilt spreads further through my veins with each beat of my heart. I knew that last night hadn’t meant anything serious to me, but I didn’t know what it meant to him, and the last thing I wanted to do was hurt him. Again. I could feel warm tears welling up in my eyes, threatening to streak down my face. How would I face him after that? How would we spend the day together with our son in Diagon Alley with so much awkward tension between us? More importantly, how does Viktor feel?  
I tried to draw out my shower as long as possible, but water only runs hot for so long. I stayed in until every last drop was gone and turned to ice. It was time. I had to get out and face Viktor.   
After pulling my clothes on, I walked out to greet Antoni and Viktor.   
“Hi, Mummy!” Antoni runs up and hugs my waist.   
I rub his hair and lean down to kiss his cheeks. He bursts into fits of giggles as I tickle his sides, pinning him down on the floor.   
“Stop it, stop it! I can’t breathe!” He giggles.  
“Mummy can’t stop the tickle monster, Tony! He’s gonna get you!” I say, grabbing on of his feet and tickling the bottom of it.  
“No, no, no!”  
He manages to jump up and runs over to hide behind Daddy. This was the moment I finally met Viktor’s eyes. He’s smiling, but I can see the pensive look in his eyes.   
“Good afternoon, ‘Mione,” he greets me.   
“Hi,” I feel the blush building in my cheeks again, “Are we ready to go?”  
“I’m ready whenever you are.”  
“As long as we can grab a coffee when we get to Diagon Alley, I’m all set,” I say.  
Viktor nods and scoops Antoni up. We hold hands when we step into the fireplace. We step out into the cafe at Florean Fortescue’s ice cream shop. I make my way over to the coffee stand while Viktor takes Antoni to look at ice cream.   
“Two vanilla lattes, a strawberry bagel with cream cheese, and a pumpkin pasty, please,” I tell the woman at the counter.   
She rings me up and turns around to get everything ready. While I wait, I watch Viktor and Antoni. He was such a great father, and I never could get tired of watching the two of them interact. It was a bittersweet thing for me, though, because while it made my heart ache and swell with love, it was never enough. There were many nights I would sit with Ginny and she’d talk me through my moments of self loathing and depression. I wanted so much to love Viktor the way I should. Somewhere along the line, we settled more into a comfortable friends with benefits who also happened to share a child kind of lifestyle. At least for me.   
There were nights when Antoni would be with my parents or visiting with the Potters and I’d sit in my room with a bottle of wine and some firewhiskey, staring at my old engagement ring, thinking about how different my life would be. Different, but still the same. Yet I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I knew it wouldn’t be fair.   
“Excuse me, Minister? Your order is ready,” the young woman behind the counter interrupts my thoughts.  
“Oh, thank you.”  
I grabbed my things and went to join my ex and son, who was holding up his bowl of ice cream excitedly.   
“Mummy, Daddy bought me ice cream! They had blueberry cheesecake!” He exclaims.  
“That’s awesome!” I say back, turning to Viktor, “I got you a coffee and pumpkin pasty. Hope you’ve got a sweet tooth.”  
He smiles and accepts, “You know I always have a sweet tooth when I’m with you, ‘Mione.”  
Viktor was always such a charmer, and I couldn’t help but smile. The three of us made our way out into the hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley, fully aware of all of the stares and whispers around us. We were probably the most popular couple, what with all the gossip going around about my relationship with Malfoy, and now everyone’s seeing me out shopping with my famous ex fiance and our child. Nevermind the fact that we were also holding hands and smiling despite everything else going on around us. I couldn’t help but tune in to some of the more quiet conversations.   
“Are Hermione and Viktor back together?”  
“Look at them, holding hands like she wasn’t just busted with another man. The scandal!”  
“I wonder what Malfoy is going to think when he finds out she’s seeing her ex again.”  
“She dares show her face with her ex just a couple days after she slept with Draco Malfoy?”  
And then my favorite, “Oh look! The Minister!”  
I waved at this woman, offering her a small smile. She clutched her hand to her chest and broadened her smile. She looked like she was honored that I had even acknowledged her. Was I really that out of touch with the public?  
“Don’t worry about what any of them are saying, Hermione. They’re just bored, and the Prophet finally gave them some bullshit worth talking about,” Viktor says to me.  
He squeezes my hand as an act of reassurance. I could always count on him to cheer me up.   
“I hadn’t even noticed,” I faked. “Were they talking about me?”  
A few steps ahead of us, Antoni ducked into Flourish and Blotts. We followed him and found him holding up an advanced potions book.  
“Mummy, can I have this?” He asks me.  
“Honey, we haven’t finished with your Standard Book of Spells yet. Don’t you want to practice more on the easier ones first?”  
“But Mummy, I’ve read it dozens of times. Can I have this one just to read for now? Please? And then we won’t have to buy this one later because we’ll already have it!”  
He looked so excited that I couldn’t resist. Truthfully, we had been practicing his potion making for nearly a year now and he had gotten fairly decent at it, despite him being so young. I remembered the first time he had ever come in the kitchen and saw me brewing a sleeping draught for Ginny. He had been so intrigued, so I let him help me gather ingredients, crush them, and do some of the mixing. Ever since then, it became something of a hobby for him when we weren’t working on simple spells. I supposed it couldn’t hurt for him to have it, at least as reading material.  
“Alright then. I suppose so,” I smiled.  
His face lit up as he turned around and made his way into another part of the store. We walked around for at least another ten minutes before he found something else he wanted.  
“Can I get a book on magical creatures too? I don’t have one of those!”  
“Sure, just make sure to grab the beginner’s addition first, love.”  
He nodded and scanned the spines until he found the one he needed.   
“Anything else?” I asked.   
He shook his head and we headed to check out. Once we were back out on the street, Viktor steered us towards the Quidditch supply shop. I looked at him with a curious eyebrow raised.  
“I have a surprise for Antoni,” he shrugged.   
“Are you sure about this? He’s still so young, Viktor.”  
“Hermione, I’m not going to set him off on his own. He’ll only be allowed on a broom when he’s with me.”  
“I don’t know about this just yet.”  
“I promise you it’ll be fine,” he lifts two fingers to my chin and turns me to face him, “You teach him simple spells and potions, I’ll teach him flying and magical creatures. Deal? We both know you’re not going to get on a broom.”  
I had to admit he was right, and I wanted Antoni to be fully prepared when he went off to Hogwarts. If he went to Hogwarts. Viktor and I had yet to agree whether he would be going there, or Durmstrang. We knew there was a chance he could get a letter from both, and I dreaded that conversation. Durmstrang accepted students a year earlier than Hogwarts, and time felt like it was moving so quickly.   
I decided to let Viktor take Antoni to buy his first broom alone. I had too much anxiety about it, but I knew it would be a good moment for the two of them. Instead, I decided to head over to the Apothecary. At the very least, I could purchase some more ingredients for Antoni’s potion making.   
I was browsing in the potion bottles when someone bumped into me abruptly and knocked down three of the bottles on the edge of the shelf.  
“Excuse me,” I said, turning to face them, “Would you mind watching where you’re-”  
As soon as I locked eyes with him, my mouth seemed to forget what it was saying,  
“Well, hello, Granger. Fancy seeing you here.”  
“Malfoy. Always a pleasure.”  
“Nice to see you doing something productive with your day. I assumed you must have been busy since you stood me up,” he says, sounding rather annoyed, “You didn’t even owl me.”  
“Why would you just assume I was busy? Maybe I simply didn’t want to meet with you,” I say defiantly.   
“Come on, Granger. I know you’re at least curious about me. You’re tempted by me. Not that I blame you. Who wouldn’t be?”  
He smiles at me, a knowing and confident smile. He wasn’t completely wrong.  
“Malfoy, why are you even being so nice to me all of a sudden? You hated my guts at Hogwarts.”  
“I’ve told you, I’ve changed. I don’t give a damn about your blood status,” he almost seemed genuine.  
“Let me get those,” he says, leaning down to pick up the broken bottles, “I guess it was partially my fault.”  
“Partially?” I scoff.   
“If the dimwitted store owners wouldn’t have placed so many bottles so close to the edge of the shelf, they might not have been so easy to knock off!”  
“Charming,” I say, bending down with him.  
I picked up a piece of the glass, and apparently not very carefully.  
“Ouch!” I exclaimed, looking down at my hand.  
Blood was starting to pour out of the fresh cut in my palm.  
“Clumsy little minx, aren’t you?” Malfoy laughs.  
He takes my hand in his to examine the injury, and waves his wand over it. Almost immediately, the blood starts to sink back into my hand and the cut closes back up. Like it never even happened.   
“There. All better?” Malfoy asks.   
He brings my hand up to his lips and places a warm, slow kiss where I had previously been hurt, looking into my eyes as he did so. I could feel a blush forming on my cheeks, and averted my eyes. He held onto my hand even after he removed his lips and instead rubbed soothing circles with his thumb.   
“Yes, much better. Thank you,” I said, aware that my hand was becoming increasingly sweaty.  
Part of me wanted to pull my hand away, but I also wasn’t ready to disconnect the contact.   
“Do I make you nervous, Granger?” He smirked.  
I scoffed. He was right, but did he always have to say things like that aloud?  
“Absolutely not, Malfoy. It’s just warm in here and we have a mess to clean up.”  
After we cleaned up all of the broken potion bottle pieces, he proceeded to follow me around the apothecary as I picked out random ingredients.   
“What are you brewing?” he asked me.  
“Oh, nothing. I’m just stocking back up. My son just seems to have a knack for potions. We just bought him a copy of Advanced Potions, so he’s going to need more ingredients.”  
“Oh, we?”Malfoy inquired.  
“Yes. Viktor and I.”  
“I thought the two of you were split?”  
“We are, yes. We’re still friends though, and we maintain a relationship for our son. He’s a great father, I’m a great mother. There’s no reason we can’t coparent and take Antoni out together. We’ve been doing this for so long, it just feels normal.”  
Malfoy picks up a jar of Valerian sprigs and pretends to examine the label, a curious look plastered on his face.  
“How old is the kid then?”   
“He’s almost nine.”  
“Blimey! Eight years old, and learning advanced potion making?” He actually looks impressed, “Then again, it is your son. You were always brilliant in school. So dedicated to your studies. I remember I counted the number of times you went to the library once. I swear to Merlin, it was at least twenty times in one day.”  
He laughs, but I’m shocked when his words actually set in.  
“You.. You were watching me?” I ask, intrigued.  
He hesitates, as though he hadn’t meant for that to slip out.   
Scratching his head, he says, “Well, yeah, you know, I didn’t have anything else to do so I figured I’d watch you and see if there was anything I could pick on you about, I guess.”  
I smiled at him, and he moved ahead of me. We spent the next few minutes walking around. Every so often, I’d pick up something new. Eventually we came to a shelf with mistletoe berries nestled in the corner at the top. I rose up on the tips of my toes and felt around, trying to reach them. My efforts were in vain. I was simply too short. I felt a body pressed against the back of mine, and one long, muscular arm reached above me and grabbed the jar.   
“Need some help there, Granger?” Draco’s voice almost whispered in my ear.   
I almost didn’t notice his hand on my hip, too fixated on the way he felt pressed against my rear. He slowly brought the jar down in front of me and placed it in my hand. I turned to face him, and wasn’t exactly disappointed by how close in proximity we were. I could feel my lip quivering as I stared into his eyes. He was barely a breath away. All it would’ve taken was maybe half a step and our lips would connect.   
I absent-mindedly rubbed my hand where his lips had kissed it earlier. They were damp and so, so soft. My eyes roam over his perfect jawline, up to his lips, and finally meet his silver eyes. Once again, I’m drawn to him. Everything I wanted to say to him, any questions I wanted to ask were simply forgotten. I still wasn’t sure how he managed to have that effect on me. He brings his hand up to cup my cheek, smirking. My eyes start to close when I realize he was leaning in closer to me. My heart pounds in my chest, my stomach flutters with anticipation.  
His lips barely graze mine when the sound of the shop bell dings, signaling the door opening. Shocked, I jolt back and nearly drop one of the jars I was holding. I heard a groan escape Malfoy’s throat.  
“Hermione, are you in here?” Viktor shouts from two rows over.   
“I’m here!” I answer.   
I look back at Malfoy, blushing. He just rolls his eyes and moves past me, heading for the exit. I start making my way to Viktor and as I enter the aisle where he and my son are, I see Malfoy behind him. He paused for a moment to glare at the back of Viktor’s head. A moment later, the bell dings, signalling his exit.   
“How did you know I’d be in here?” I ask.   
“I knew it would either be here or a bookshop. We stopped here first because it was closer,” Viktor shrugs.  
“Mummy, we got a broom!” Antoni yells excitedly.   
“I see that! Are you excited to start your lessons with Daddy?”  
“Can he take me to Uncle Harry’s on it when we get home?”  
I look at Viktor. He’s smiling down at Antoni.   
“Sure, if Daddy wants to take you. I’ll meet you there after,” I said, tussling his hair.   
How my little boy was growing up, and so fast. His ninth birthday was coming up in just a few short weeks. Then the next year, we’d have too many big decisions to make about his future. Part of me desperately hoped Viktor would reconsider Durmstrang.   
When we finally made it back home after shopping around for a couple more hours, it was nearly dinner time. I sent an owl to Ginny informing her that we’d pop around for dinner and Antoni had a surprise for them. We unpacked the books, Quidditch equipment, potion supplies, and other odd things we brought home and got ready to head to the Potter’s.   
I walked outside to watch as Viktor helped Antoni mount the broom in front of him, his arms around either side of him. Both of their faces lit up with eager anticipation.   
“I’m on a real broom, Mum!”  
While they were practically jumping out of their skin with joy, my chest was constricting painfully with anxiety. Something about brooms and heights always terrified me. In fact, riding a broomstick and Divination were the only two things I never did very well with. I trusted Viktor, but I was absolutely horrified of Antoni riding for the first time.   
“Right, I’ll see you at Uncle Harry’s, okay?” I smiled nervously.   
Viktor could sense my unease.   
“It’s going to be okay, ‘Mione. You know I do this for a living, right?” He smiled at me.   
“Yes, I know,” I hesitated, my voice shaking now.   
Viktor grabbed my hand and pulled me into a family hug. He rubbed my back tenderly and planted a kiss on my forehead.  
“We’re going to be fine, love. Just relax, and we’ll see you soon. Okay?” His voice was soft and understanding.   
I nodded, trying to put on a strong front for Antoni.   
“Come on, Mum! Aunt Ginny needs your help with food!”  
I kissed his head and after one more hug, I backed away. I watched as Viktor kicked off and they ascended high above the rooftops. Antoni’s joyful cheers rang through the air, slowly fading as they rode further and further away. My eyes were fixed on them until they disappeared completely, a few stray tears slipping down my face.   
I took a few moments to compose myself before apparating into Ginny’s living room.   
“Hi, Aunt ‘Mione,” Teddy greets me.   
“Hi, sweethearts,” I say as I wrap both Teddy and Albus into a hug, “Where’s your sister?”  
“Lilly’s taking a nap,” Albus responds, “She should be getting up soon, I think.”   
They returned to their game of Wizard’s Chess as I headed toward the kitchen. I heard Ginny giggle and I stopped in the doorway. My two best friends were standing in front of the stove, Harry behind her. His arms were wrapped around her waist, gently swaying side to side, as she stirred dinner.   
I couldn’t help but admire the two of them. Over a whole decade together, through a major war, separation while Harry, Ron, and I hunted horcruxes, through loss and pain, and they were so happy. They had the perfect family, a beautiful life, and the two of them seemed to share one huge heart so full of love it would make Snow White mad at Prince Charming.  
I looked at them, and it made me think of the moment Malfoy and I had shared in the apothecary just a few short hours ago. As much as I wanted to dissect it and figure out why he was coming on to me so strongly, and so suddenly, I couldn’t help but simply enjoy it.   
I thought back to my very first day at Hogwarts, when all of my first year class was standing just outside the immaculate doors of the Great Hall waiting to be sorted. He stood out to me at first because of his white blond hair. I had never in my life seen hair like his. It looked like white silk, soft and smooth. He wore it slicked back in those days. What drew me in even more was his strikingly silver eyes. Of course I appreciated his other features, but just that alone made him seem so unique and different. I couldn’t help but stare at him. I knew I was the kind of girl he would never notice. But then he did notice me, and in the worst way.  
Pushing these thoughts to the recesses of my mind for now, I cleared my throat to get Harry and Ginny’s attention.   
“Sorry to interrupt the moment, guys, but I’m here!” I exclaimed.   
Ginny spins around quickly, shocked.   
“Hi there! I’m glad you made it,” she glances at the clock, “and early this time!”  
I laugh and she strides across the kitchen to greet me with a hug. I wave to Harry over her shoulder.  
“Where are Antoni and Viktor?” She asks me.   
“Oh, they’ll be along shortly, I’m sure. Part of the surprise, so I can’t tell you.”  
While we waited for them to arrive, Ginny and I moved along with preparing dinner, with Lilly “supervising”, as she liked to call it, while Harry started a game of chess with the boys. Shortly after, Viktor and Antoni touched down in the front yard.   
“Hey, the rest of the gang is here!” Teddy yells from the other room.  
“Yes, yes we are,” Viktor replies, “How are you, Ted?”  
“I’m rather curious about this surprise Aunt ‘Mione has told us about, Uncle Vik.”  
“It can wait until after dinner,” I interject, “It will be done shortly!”  
Antoni looks over at me with a smile on his face. I return his smile and bring a finger up over my lips, telling him not to say anything just yet. He nods his head, and settles in with Albus and Teddy. They’ve retired Wizard’s Chess for Exploding Snap.   
Viktor joins us in the kitchen and greets both Ginny and me with a peck on the cheek. As soon as Lilly sees him, she squeals and runs up to him with her arms extended. He bends down and picks her up on his hip.  
“There’s my little princess Lilly!” He kisses the top of her head and looks to Ginny and me, “What’s for dinner then, ladies?”  
“Bangers and mash with onion gravy. Fruit pies for dessert,” Ginny rubs her stomach.   
“Sounds delicious. I can’t wait. I’m starving,” Harry says from the living room.   
“Oh, hush, Harry. It’s nearly finished!” Ginny yells to him, sounding awfully similar to Molly Weasley.  
I couldn’t help but laugh at the likeness.   
After dinner, Viktor and Antoni brought everyone into the living room so Tony could show off his new broom. Albus and Teddy gathered around him to admire it.   
“This is so cool! I can’t wait until you’re able to ride on your own, Tony! Then the three of us could start learning how to play Quidditch like our dads!” Teddy exclaimed happily.   
While his and Albus’ first interest was broom riding, Antoni’s was potions. Teddy, being the oldest, already rode quite well by himself, and he was only ten. He couldn’t wait for his younger brother and cousin to learn how to ride, as much as he enjoyed Harry’s company. Albus, who was Antoni’s age, was still riding with Harry or Ginny for the most part, but they allowed him to practice riding low on his own around their land, as long as one of them could be around to supervise.   
Antoni takes his broom over to Lilly, who had been standing patiently behind her brothers.   
“Hi, Lilly!” He says happily, and I notice the faintest pink stain on his cheeks, “Do you like my broom?”  
She smiles at him and nods her head. Lilly was only seven years old, but she had always been so shy. We all assumed she got it from Harry, which he was fine with because he preferred her being shy, in hopes she might never have a boyfriend and his baby girl would never grow up.   
Ginny noticed this little exchange as well. She nudged Harry and pointed in the direction of Antoni and Lilly, smiling. I had to stifle a laugh as his face paled slightly with realization. Viktor, however, didn’t attempt to cover his amusement at all.   
“They’re kids, Harry!” He laughed.   
Harry just looked him, unimpressed, “Easy for you to say, mate. You’re not the one with the daughter.”  
After dessert, Viktor, Antoni, and I told everyone good night and decided it was time to head home. It had been a long day for all of us. Tonight was also the night Viktor would take Tony home with him so they could prepare to go to Bulgaria early in the morning. When we made it back to mine, I helped pack some things he would need, including his new broomstick, in a painfully slow demeanor. It wasn’t the first time he would be away from me for an extended period of time, but it had been at least a year or so since the last time. It felt like the first time all over again. I knew that Viktor’s parents wanted to spend some time with him, though.   
“Are you sure you don’t want to take some time and come with us, Hermione?” Viktor asks me, interrupting my thoughts.   
“No. No, it’s fine. I’m sure I’ll have plenty to do while he’s gone,” I say, trying to keep my tone positive, “I may be the Minister for Magic, but ever since we split up, your parents don’t really fancy my company.”  
“Hermione, they wouldn’t say anything if you wanted to come. Even if they did, I wouldn’t allow them to stop you.”  
“Viktor, they’re your parents. It’s their home, and I respect their wishes. After all, I don’t really blame them, after what happened with us. We may have moved past it, but they don’t understand.”  
“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that, ‘Mione,” Viktor hesitates.   
“About what?” I ask, even though I was pretty sure I already knew exactly where this conversation was headed.   
I thought back to the kiss we shared, our little moment the other night when I was drunk. I felt a pang of guilt.   
“I, erm-”   
I could tell he was hesitating. He was just as nervous as I was, because neither of us wanted to really broach the subject. It was more sensitive for him. He still held hope for our relationship, after all these years. I knew because he never started a relationship with anyone else. He didn’t even try to. He spent more time with me than two separated people should, even though we have a child. It felt like he still lived here, actually. There were days he wouldn’t come over, but more often than not, he only went back to his loft to sleep. He still considered this his home. All this time, I never thought to tell him not to. We had fallen into a comfortable routine with each other, and I think we were both sort of afraid of what would happen if we broke it.   
Things were starting to change, though. He could see it, and so could I. Nothing may have happened between myself and Draco Malfoy as the Prophet said, but even Viktor could tell that it was time to talk about where we stood with things. The whole situation had made him nervous, because for the first time since we split, he had to consider that maybe I had started to see other people. I was hoping that maybe he would be okay with it and it wouldn’t hurt him so bad, but the more logical part of me had a sneaking suspicion that maybe he would try to use this time to salvage us.   
“Viktor, why haven’t you started seeing anyone? You know we’ve been broken up for six years. I have never seen you with another woman. There’s never even been a rumor about it.”  
“I think you know why, Hermione.”  
I look into his eyes and such an intensity reflected back that I hadn’t seen in so long. It was as though a fire had been ignited in the pit of his soul.   
“Viktor, you aren’t still holding onto me. You can’t be.”  
I knew he was, though. And it hurt so much to know that I would have to hurt him again in order for us to be able to move on with our lives, happy and healthy. As much as I wanted to, I hadn’t fallen in love with him. We had spent a decade in each other’s lives, and nothing had changed.  
“To me, it hasn’t felt like we aren’t together. We still see each other nearly every day. I’m here more than I’m back at my own place. We do everything together,” he grabs my hands, “This is where I want to be, where I’ve always wanted to be. Here, with you and our son, in this home.”  
I could feel the desperation in his heart as he clutched my hands.   
“It just hasn’t felt the same to me. It feels more like we’re just.. I don’t know, we’re just comfortable. To me, we’re just friends and coparents.”  
“Hermione, I know we can work. The way you kissed me last night, the way you wanted me.. I know there has to be something there. You’re just too afraid to see it.”  
“No, Viktor. We have been in each other’s lives for so many years now, and I did try to love you. Merlin, I wanted to so bad because I knew how good you were for me,” I could feel tears threatening to break the surface, “I think that a part of you has known for a while that you need to move on.”  
“Hermione, I understood years ago what happened between you and Fred. I knew it was hard for you because you were so broken then. Surely this has nothing to do with that.”  
“I have made peace with what happened with Fred. I will always hold him in my heart, but it no longer affects our relationship. I do love you, Viktor. I just am not in love with you. I think you’ve known that for a while. I think that you were afraid to hear this because you knew that meant it would break our routine. And that’s all we are. We’re just a routine.”  
I couldn’t hold back the tears anymore, and neither could he. We were silent for a few moments, letting our tears fall, listening to Antoni in his bedroom playing with his wizard cards even though he was supposed to be packing.  
I walked over to my dresser and pulled my engagement ring out of the top drawer. We both knew this was going to be hard, but it was inevitable. Clutching it to my chest and taking a deep breath, I walked back over to Viktor. He was now sitting on my bed. His head was in his hands and his shoulders shook from the intensity of his silent sobs. I sat down beside him and tried to pull myself together.   
“Viktor,” I said calmly, putting my hand on his shoulder, “I think.. I think it’s time I gave this back to you. I don’t need to hold onto it anymore.”  
He looked up into my eyes, and my heart nearly shattered. He choked back a sob and closed his hand over mine.   
“No. Hermione, I can’t… I can’t take this back.”  
“Please, don’t make this harder than it already is,” I sighed.   
“You want me to just accept everything you’re saying to me, take back the ring that symbolizes my eternal love for you and our whole life together, and act like this isn’t ripping my heart out and shredding it into a million pieces, just to save you some guilt?”   
His voice cracked, and new tears began pouring down his face. He stood up and started slowly pacing back and forth in front of the bed. He was right. I was so tired of feeling guilty. I was tired of always being the reason Viktor was being held back. It wasn’t fair to him. It was eating me alive, knowing that he could be with someone that would reciprocate his love, but instead he was stuck in this limbo with me. I needed him to let me go just as much as I knew he needed to let me go. It was time.   
“You just don’t understand that I can’t just let you go. I can’t turn my feelings for you off like a light switch, Hermione. You know that’s not how this works.”  
“All I’m asking, Viktor, is that you take a chance on life with someone else. You open up your heart to someone who can and will give you the love you deserve. We need to break this routine we’re in and move on so that we can both be happy instead of merely existing.”  
“I am happy! You are not a damn routine to me, Hermione!” He shouts, “You have never felt like a habit to me. I am in love with you. I know you say that you’re not in love with me right now, but I would wait a thousand years for you, as long as I still had you.”  
“You’re not listening, Viktor. I need you to let us go. We both need to move ahead with our lives, or we will be stuck on this treadmill forever.”  
“None of this happened until that Malfoy twit came along.”  
I sighed, unsure of what to say next. I thought of when Viktor and I first met. We were so young, and things weren’t so complicated then. I remembered the way he had smiled at me the very first time he saw me. He was entering his name into the Goblet of Fire my fourth year, and I had been sitting with the Weasley twins. They were concocting some sort of scheme to trick the age line, and I was reading. When I looked up, we looked at each other, and the smirk that spread on his face made my heart skip a beat. He was so handsome. Then when he approached me to ask me to the Yule Ball. He had been so nervous, and all I could think about was the eyes of the girls behind him boring into my soul with jealousy.   
I was the nerd, the bookworm, the girl that was only even heard of because she was best friends with Harry Potter. I was the mudblood. Even though I had managed to tame my crazy curls, I was still known as the girl with the rat’s nest. He knew all of these things, and still Viktor never cared. He thought I was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He didn’t care who saw him with me. He was so pure.   
I thought of the way he looked at me when he saw me walking down the stairs to the ball, and the way he danced with me. I was sure that he would see one of the other girls there and then see me and wish he had taken someone else. I was so wrong. He looked at me as though I were the only girl in the room, and that same look has never left his eyes.   
I could sit here and question myself and hate myself until I went mad, but it would never change the way things just simply were. It was time to stop asking myself why, and just accept that it didn’t matter. It just was, and maybe there wasn’t a reason.   
“I need to take Antoni to see my parents,” Viktor stated simply.   
“I know.”  
I stood up in front of him and held his face in my hands. He wrapped his arms around me and let his head fall into the crook of my neck. As he started to cry again, he held me tighter. I rubbed his back and neck softly. I held him for several minutes before we released each other.  
“It’s time for us to go,” he says.  
We walk into Antoni’s room. He’s already packed and ready to go.   
“Are you ready, my little champion?”   
“Yes, Daddy!”  
“Say goodbye to Mummy.”  
Tony gets up and runs into my open arms, embracing me tightly.   
“I’ll see you and Daddy when you come back home, sweetheart. I love you so much!”  
“I love you too, Mum!”  
“Go and wait by the door, Tony. I’ll be right there,” Viktor says to him.  
When Antoni leaves, Viktor walks up to me and cups my cheeks with his hands. Slowly he leans in and we both close our eyes as his lips collide with mine. His kiss is passionate and intense. He kisses me like he knows it’s the last time he ever will. I wrap my arms around his neck to deepen the kiss and one of his hands tangles itself in my curls. I could taste the salt on his lips from the tears I knew were still falling.   
He pulls away after a few more long moments and looks in my eyes.   
“I love you, Hermione.” He says to me, and I know he means it, “I will always love you.”  
“I know,” I say to him.   
Without another word, he leans down and picks up Antoni’s bag and heads for the floo in the living room. I hear the roar of the fire and then there’s silence filling my home for the first time ever.


	5. Bite What, Granger?

“So how did things go with Viktor?” Ginny asks. 

I had agreed to meet with her for dinner at a nice restaurant in Diagon Alley. She and Harry had suspected I wouldn’t want to spend my first night away from Antoni alone, but knew that part of me was too prideful to voice this feeling. For that reason, I was grateful Ginny invited me out tonight. If she hadn’t, I probably would’ve ordered in some Chinese and curled up on the couch, miserably binge watching some terribly boring Muggle show about rich housewives with too much time on their hands. Harry, being an understanding and considerate friend and husband, had decided to stay home to watch the kids, telling us to just start a tab in his name and to be careful. He knew what to expect when Ginny and I went out for girl’s night. 

“We… We sort of talked,” I said, slightly apprehensive about discussing it. 

I knew she wouldn’t let me off so easily. She never did.

“What about?” She asked me. 

“About our relationship as it stands. He wants to try to make things work with me, Gin.”

She gave me a knowing and sympathetic look. 

“I’m assuming you told him no?” She asks. 

I waved my hand over my glass, which generously refilled itself. I took a long drink before turning my attention back to her. 

“It’s time we both moved on.” I stated dismissively. “How are things going with you and Harry lately?”

“Honestly? They’ve been rather stressed lately. Mum’s been putting a lot of pressure on us to have another kid,” she says, kicking back the last of her own drink, then slamming the glass down on the table. She instantly refilled it.

“Another kid?” I asked her. 

“Of course. I think she’s suffering from empty nest syndrome,” she groaned.

“You know, Gin, you’d think that after raising seven kids of her own, she’d be quite glad to have the house to herself. If not, well, there’s plenty of privacy for her and Arthur to make another one of their own!”

I laugh, but Ginny’s face contorts into one of disgust.

“Gross, ‘Mione! As if I want to think about my parents shagging! I’d like to hold down my dinner, thank you. Really though, I wish she’d understand that she has plenty of other children to bear her grandchildren. Harry and I don’t want a house full of kids.”

“That’s laughable! Could you imagine Ronald actually being a father one day? He’s hardly ready for that. It’s likely Bill and Fleur will be her only hope for that, aside from you and Harry, of course. I’m surprised they haven’t already, actually, what with Fleur being Veela and all.”

“Oh, I suppose I forgot to tell you! Fleur’s pregnant!” Ginny exclaims suddenly, a hint of excitement brightening her blue eyes.

Before I could respond to this, however, I caught a flash of striking and familiar blonde hair out of the corner of my eye. He had been sitting at the bar, talking to a tall, slender blonde. I watched the two of them interacting for a moment. 

The blonde was gazing at him admirably, in an obvious desperate attempt to get him to take her home with him. Ginny must have followed my line of sight, as she suddenly let out a roar of laughter nearly in sync with mine as we watched the blonde lean in to him, her hand coming to rest on his inner thigh. It was hard to mistake the look of indifference in his eyes, though he didn’t seem entirely opposed to getting laid later. 

“Maybe you should go talk to him, Hermione.” Ginny says to me, the smile on her face unmistakably mischievous. “After all, he is your boyfriend, according to the Prophet. You really musn’t let him run around with cheap slags.”

“You know, Gin,” I say to her, “You’re quite right. Perhaps it’s time I reminded Draco Malfoy exactly who he owes his loyalty to.”

Ginny smirks at me. “Go get him, you sexy little lioness.”

My liquid courage finally settling in, I swiftly sat up, my chair swirling around behind me in my haste. I soothed down my dress, tossed my hair over my shoulders, and sauntered over to the bar. I could feel the rush of the alcohol flowing through my veins with every step I took, my heart pounding, palms sweaty as I neared him. Rather than approach him directly, I chose to take a seat at the corner nearest him. The bartender made his way over to me, immediately recognizing me. 

“Madam Minister,” he greets me with a smile. 

Admittedly, he was rather handsome. Tall, slender build, muscular arms, and his long, brown hair perfectly framed his face. His pointed chin dusted with stubble, his big green eyes were friendly, yet slightly mischievous. Tempting, but he wasn’t the man I was here for. I offered him a smile anyway. 

“What can I get for you?” He asks me. 

“Dark and stormy,” I say, propping my chin up on my fist, meeting his eyes. 

He smiles again, “Coming right up.”

I glance back at Ginny, who was obviously watching my every move. She knew exactly what I was doing, drawing my prey to me rather than going in for the kill. She gave me a thumbs-up, signalling her encouragement. It seemed she was just as curious as I was to see how this was going to play out. 

The handsome bartender reappeared with my drink and slowly slid it across to me. I reach out to take it, my eyes meeting his. I could feel a hot blush creeping into my cheeks. He seemed to mistake my embarrassment for attraction. 

Leaning in slightly, he whispers, “Let me know if there’s anything else I can assist you with, Minister. Anything at all.”

“I’m fine for now, thank you.”

He winks at me and casually strides off to greet his next customer. I look over at Malfoy. He hadn’t seemed to notice my presence yet. 

_ That’s fine,  _ I thought,  _ I can be patient _ . 

I finish my drink, and before my glass even hits the bar, the bartender is in front of me grinning. 

“Another, Ms. Granger?” He asks, his voice low and husky. 

I looked up to meet his eyes, noticing immediately how darkened they were. I nod to him and he turns around towards the vast expanse of liquor bottles. I felt rustling beside me as Ginny lifted herself into the seat next to mine. 

“I got bored sitting over there all by myself. Mind if I join you?” She asks me. 

“Of course not. At least I’ll have a proper drinking companion if Malfoy doesn’t bite.”

“Bite what, Granger?” I hear a voice from behind me that immediately sends delicious chills up my spine. 

I turn to face him. Naturally, he was wearing his trademark Malfoy smirk. That smirk that drove women mad and made nearly every man envious. The blonde who had accompanied him at the bar was now glaring at me, clearly annoyed. Not that it mattered to either myself or Ginny. I smiled at her. 

“Fancy seeing you here, Malfoy.” I said to him. “Not sure that I approve of the company you choose to keep, though.”

“And why is that, Granger?”

“I’m sure your girlfriend here would appreciate it if you wouldn’t entertain these dodgy scrubbers while you’re out on the town, Malfoy,” Ginny calls from over my shoulder.

The blonde looked offended, not that Ginny cared. She rounded on the girl before she had the chance to say anything. 

“If you were wondering,” she looks at her sweetly, “I was referring to you, love.”

I couldn’t help the laughter that erupted at this. This was the reason I had always loved Ginny. No matter what, she always defended me ruthlessly. She wasn’t the type to hold anything against me, even though sometimes I wondered if she should. I was always so lucky to have her at my side. 

Unfortunately, Draco couldn’t even hide his amusement at Ginny’s comment, and the blonde noticed this. 

“Think they’re funny, do you?” She says haughtily, her chin raised in defiance. 

“Please, address us personally, if you’re going to say anything at all,” Ginny quips. “It’s not as if anything you’re going to say is going to hurt my feelings.”

Draco held up his hand as the blonde attempted to say something. He looked at me, and I could feel myself getting lost in the storms brewing behind his grey eyes. They drew me in, pulling me deeper and deeper until I felt like I could barely breathe. I couldn’t entirely blame the alcohol. Draco Malfoy was simply, irresistibly captivating. 

“Second thought, Claire, maybe you should go,” he turned to the girl, who was still desperately trying to latch herself onto him.

“Are you serious, Draco?” 

“Oh yes,” his eyes slowly roam over my body, an approving smile resting on his lips. “I’m afraid I’ve stumbled upon something much more worth my time.”

He grabbed her hand and placed a Galleon and a few Sickles in her palm. 

“Take yourself home,” he says, nodding towards the door. 

She took a moment to glare at the three of us before she turned around and stalked out of the restaurant, arms crossed in disappointment. 

Turning back to the bar, I was glad to see the bartender returning with my drink, and a drink for Ginny as well. He glanced, confused, at Malfoy. 

“Your drinks, ladies,” he says, his eyes lingering on me for a moment. 

Malfoy noticed this and slid up on the stool next to mine. 

“You can put them on my tab,” he says, staring him down. “Thanks, mate.”

The bartender looks at me hesitantly. I could tell he had just realized he had lost whatever chance he thought he had. Who was he, really, to challenge the handsome blonde wizard at my side? I made a mental note to tip him generously. 

The three of us finished our first drink together in silence, unsure of what to say. I knew Ginny was growing restless. She was certainly getting quite drunk at this point, and I could see her fidgeting with her glass, swinging her feet, chewing her lip. A pang of guilt swept over me, knowing my friend now felt like a third wheel. I hadn’t even noticed there was music playing until the three of us sat here silently. 

“Ginny!” I exclaimed. 

“Hermione!” She yells back, shocked by my sudden outburst. 

“Let’s go dance!” 

I grab her hand and drag her off the stool she had been sitting on and pull her away from the bar. 

“Are you coming?” I yell back to Malfoy. 

At this point, several other people who had previously been sitting at the bar had risen up and were joining us.

He looked around at everyone who had started dancing around us, shrugged, smiling, and came to join us. Swaying my hips, I wrapped my arms around Ginny’s waist and moved her in tune with me, coaxing her to find a rhythm. She draped her arms over my shoulder, throwing her head back to rock her hips with the beat of the song playing in the background. We let the music guide us, laughing and dancing for a few minutes before I noticed Malfoy still hadn’t joined in on the fun. 

I looked back at him. He was standing behind us, an amused look in his eyes, despite his arms being crossed over his chest. I watched as his eyes, once again, found their way over my body, taking in every part of me. His tongue slowly rolled over his lips, and I could feel my underwear getting damp the longer I watched him. 

Ginny, lost in the music and feeling her drunken rhythm, didn’t even notice when I took my arms from around her and reached out to Malfoy. He shook his head, but I could tell he was tempted. 

“Draco Lucius Malfoy, I didn’t make you walk all the way over here with me just so you could stand there and watch me!” I yelled to him. 

He grabbed my hand suddenly and pulled me into him, our bodies pressed firmly against each other. His arms snaked around my waist, slowly starting to move me with him, gently grinding his hips into me. 

“Is this what you wanted, Granger?” He whispers in my ear. 

I whimpered, unable to help myself. My arms around his neck, I pulled him impossibly closer. 

“Yes,” I whispered back breathlessly. 

His chuckle rippled through my chest, my heart skipping beats. I breathed in his scent, intoxicated by not only the copious amounts of alcohol I had consumed, but also by him. It wasn’t hard to understand Claire’s disappointment from having missed out on the feel of Malfoy’s hands on her. 

He spun me around and ran a single finger slowly down my spine. I could feel myself melting under his touch. His hands slid around my waist and took hold of my wrists, gently guiding them up around his neck as he closed the distance between us again. His fingers traced a mind numbing path back down my arms, sides, and hips before they came to rest on my stomach. I felt myself shivering, knees weakening, but I’d be damned if I caved and lost this moment. I ground my ass into his groin, eliciting a deep groan from him that vibrated against my back. 

“Hermione Jean,” Ginny says to me, laughing. “Well I never!”

I smiled at her and reached my arms out to her. She happily stepped into them and ran her fingers over my cheeks, down my neck, her hips swaying gently against me while Draco and I maintained our rhythm. I could smell the gin on her breath as we continued to dance that way for several long, enjoyable moments. 

When the song finally ended, Ginny and I agreed we both needed another drink. Draco led us back to the bar, and we found that the same handsome bartender from earlier had been watching us, waiting for us to come back. 

“You two ladies are rather impressive, if I may say so, Madam Minister,” he grins at me. 

“You should’ve expect-” Ginny hiccups, “Expected as much! Hermione here is very fine company to keep!”

She winks at me and tosses her arm over my shoulder. The bartender chuckles, keeping his eyes on us. 

“Another drink then?” He asks, already pulling two empty glasses from under the bar. 

“Oh, Merlin, hell yes! This man knows just what to say!” Ginny exclaims, jumping up on the bar stool in front of her. 

“Are you sure she should have another?” Malfoy asks me. 

“Well, she’s definitely not drinking alone,” I tell him, then turn my attention back to the bartender, “What’s your name?”

“Colin,” he replies. 

“Well then, Colin, I would absolutely love another cloudy dark thing!” I say. 

“One dark and stormy and one gin and tonic coming right up, ladies.”

He swiftly turns and begins making our drinks. I joined Ginny at the bar and she turns to me. 

“I love you, ‘Mion-” she hiccups again, “‘Mione Jean! You’re my best friend, you know that?” 

I couldn’t help but laugh at her. I wrapped my arm around her. 

“You know,” I could tell my words were sort of slurred now, “I love you too Ginevra Potter!”

“Oh, it’s still so strange to be a Potter now! I can’t quite adjust to it.” She laughs. 

Colin hands us our drinks and proceeds to make one for Draco as well, who was now sitting on the other side of me. 

“I can’t imagine anyone finding it easy to accept Potter’s last name,” he says. “The git.”

“Hey!” Ginny yells. “That’s my husband!”

She leans over me to slap his shoulder. I scoff at him and turn my attention back to her. 

“I was almost Hermione Krum. Could you imagine?” 

We both burst into another small fit of giggles.  _ Oh yes,  _ I thought,  _ There’s the alcohol _ . 

“It wouldn’t have been the worst. Could you imagine if you were Hermione… Oh, Merlin, I barely want to say it! What if you had been Hermione.. Hermione Weasley?” She laughs again. 

I knew she had been referencing Ron. Of course, it was what everyone expected, but I couldn’t help but think about Fred. Indeed, what if I had been Hermione Weasley? 

Ginny seemed to notice the shift in my demeanor, and immediately threw her hand up over her mouth. 

“Oh, ‘Mione, I’m sorry. You know I didn’t mean-”

“It’s fine, Gin, honestly,” I interrupted. “I would never have married Ron.” 

We both looked at each other for a moment. I smiled at her, reassuring her that it was okay. She looked between Malfoy and me, her mischievous grin curling back onto her lips. 

“What?” I asked her. 

“Oh nothing,” she says in an almost sing-song voice, “I was just trying something out.”

“Trying what out?” Draco asks, butting into the conversation. 

“How about Hermione Malfoy?” She starts laughing uncontrollably at this. 

“Ginny!” I squealed, joining her. 

“Hermione Malfoy, Minister for Magic!” She roars, nearly falling off of her stool. 

I reached out to steady her. She had definitely had too much to drink. Draco immediately stands up, rushing over behind her. He helps her to the floor. She barely manages to stand up, finding herself leaning on him for support. He looks at me rather uncomfortably. 

“We should get her home, Granger.”

“Right, well we should probably use the firework network,” I pause, “The fire thing?”

“The what? You mean the floo network?”

“Yes, that!” I exclaim. 

“Granger, you can barely manage to remember what it’s called. I hardly think you’d be able to manage Potter’s address correctly. You’ll just end up lost.”

“Apparate! I can do that! I can just apparate us back to Harry’s.”

“Are you mental? You get splinched at this rate.” He shakes his head at me. 

“Well, what do you propose we do then?” I said, barely managing to cover the slur in my words. 

He simply smirks at me. 

“You’ll come home with me,” he says matter-of-factly. 

“Home? With you?” I nearly whispered. 

His response nearly knocks me off my feet. Would I go home with Draco Malfoy? I found myself wondering what it would be like to step foot back in Malfoy Manor. The thought sent shivers, unwelcome ones, up my spine. I wasn’t quite sure I was ready for that. There were too many memories there that still haunted me sometimes. Subconsciously, I picked at the scar that still remained on my arm from where his aunt had carved into me. He seemed to notice this, his eyes softening. 

“I wouldn’t take you back there, Granger.”

I looked up at him, blushing with embarrassment. 

“What about Ginny?” I ask, avoiding his gaze. 

He lifts my chin up so he can meet my eyes. 

“I’ll make sure she gets home safely. I’ll see to it myself,” he says to me softly. “I’ll be right back.”

He gently lifts Ginny up into his arms and takes her over to the floo network on the other side of the restaurant. I watch as the green flames engulf them and they disappear. I turn back to my drink, finishing it off. 

“Where’d your friends get off to?” Colin asks me, suddenly reappearing back in front of me. 

I tried to look at him, but my vision was very blurred now. I found it difficult to focus on him properly. Trying my best to appear as though I were still very much in control, I managed to shrug. 

“Draco won’t be gone long,” I tell him. “He’s gone to take my friend home.”

“Your friend is definitely something else,” he says. 

“That she is,” I agree. “But she’s the greatest friend I’ve ever had. Wouldn’t trade her for the world.”

After a few quiet moments of sitting at the bar, I felt a single finger tracing up my back, slowly up my neck, and back down. I sank into his gentle touch. His other hand caresses my arm softly. 

“Are you ready to go, Granger?” Draco asks from behind me, his breath tickling my ear. 

I looked at him and nodded. He takes my elbow and guides me down from the stool. 

“Alright, Madam Minister,” he says, his voice slightly mocking Colin, “Whenever you’re ready.”

I laugh, taking his arm. When I took my first step, I stumbled, nearly falling over. Draco catches me and wraps a protective arm around my waist, pulling me close to him. 

“Do I need to carry you too?” He asks playfully. 

I smack his stomach and find that it’s rather firm beneath my palm. I took a moment to let my hand run over his abdomen and slowly toward his chest. He lets out a sigh and places a hand over mine. 

“Don’t even think about it, you insufferable ferret,” I laugh at him. 

When we finally step out of the fireplace in his home, I pause for a moment to try to take in my surroundings, though it wasn’t exactly easy. Through my blurred vision and squinted eyes, I looked around the room. There was a long, grey sectional with a square coffee table in the middle; black curtains covering vast windows on the far wall, barely concealing a bay window hidden behind them; and several bookshelves against another wall, nearly collapsing from the weight of all the books neatly stacked on them. The room led into the kitchen, separated by a bar that seemed entirely made of black marble. 

“Like what you see, Granger?” Draco asks from beside me. 

I let him guide me further into the room. He takes me over to the couch and starts to make his way into the kitchen. 

“It’s nice,” I say, looking around. 

Though I was impressed with the elegance of the room, I noticed how bare the walls were. After fumbling for a few moments, I manage to finally break my feet free from my heels as I sat on the couch. I slide my bare feet through the soft fibers of the carpet, relishing in how comfortable it felt between my toes. I couldn’t help but feel like a child at the beach for the first time, digging their toes into the soft sand beneath them. I closed my eyes and let myself imagine the sound of rolling waves, a cool breeze blowing on my face. It was interrupted, however, when I heard the sound of Draco’s feet padding softly on the carpet towards me. 

“Enjoying yourself?” He asks, amused. 

“No pictures?” I asked him, gesturing towards the walls. “It feels so impersonal, bare. It suggests nothing about you.”

“I’d like to keep it that way.”

“What do you mean?” I ask. 

“Just never fancied myself being a very exposed person, Granger. I like my privacy.”

“It’s your home, though, Malfoy. In most houses, when you walk in them, the first room you see tells a lot about them. It should feel comfortable for you. You shouldn’t feel like you have to hide anything in your own house.” I smirk at him. “Besides, for someone who likes their privacy, you had no problem bringing me here.”

“Yes, well I suppose you’re the exception to that rule.” 

I felt the blush creeping into my cheeks again. It never failed to give me away, as much as I despised it. He extends a glass with a clear liquid in it to me. 

“Thought you might like some water to wash down all of that alcohol you drank earlier,” he says. 

“Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden, Malfoy? Drinking with me, dancing with me, taking care of me, and of all things, bringing me back to your home?” I couldn’t help the niggling feeling in the back of my mind. 

He groans. 

“People change, Granger. Can’t you just trust that? Was tonight no indication to you that I’m not the troubled, misled boy I used to be?”

I accept the water, our hands brushing against each other as he pulls away. 

“Thanks.” I said awkwardly. 

“I never would’ve pegged you for an alcoholic. You were always such a responsible little Gryffindor in school. I’d bet the only rush you ever felt back at Hogwarts was probably from a new book,” he laughs, changing the subject.

“Ah, well, unfortunately for you, you missed out on hearing all the stories about the parties we’d have in the common room. You might think Gryffindors were all boring and innocent, but we threw some of the best soirees.”

“And what did you do, sit in the corner or perhaps upstairs, reading a book, gossiping with the Weaslette?” He teases. 

I stand up, my hands on my hips, slightly swaying. 

“For your information, Malfoy, I drank with the rest of them. And her name is Ginny, not Weaslette.” I poked him in the chest playfully. 

“Easy there, Granger. I poke back,” he pokes me in my side. 

I erupted into a fit of giggles, unable to help myself. 

“Ticklish, Granger?” He asks. 

“Absolutely not!” I defended, though he was clearly unconvinced. 

“Oh, really?” 

He takes a step towards me. I take a step back, trying to put distance between us, but in my highly uncoordinated state, my feet tangled themselves between each other and I tumbled to the floor. He’s on top of me in an instant, using one arm to pin me down while the other continues its tickle assault on my side. I tried to roll around, but found I was powerless to do so under the weight of his arm. 

“Malfoy, stop!” I yell between gasps of air as I laugh. “Stop, stop!”

I brought my knee up in defense, sending it flying into his ribcage. 

“Blast, Granger!” He groans. “Now you’re really going to get it!” 

Before he could recover, I instinctively wrapped my legs around his waist and roll both of us over. I pin his arms above his head, our faces now only inches apart. I could feel his heart pounding in sync with mine as we both gasped for air. I looked into his deep grey eyes. 

“Now what?” I ask. 

“I’m at your mercy, Granger. Whatever will you do with me?”

I felt his groin twitch beneath my sensitive spot, and immediately felt a burning rush of desire sweep over me. My panties dampened as I felt him twitch again. His eyes roamed down my body, stopping as they reached our midsections. It was then that I realized my dress had bunched up around my thighs and nearly my whole bottom half was exposed. 

I quickly sat up and tried to pull the resisting fabric down. He sat up with me, running his soft hands up my exposed flesh and around my waist. 

“You don’t have to hide from me, Granger,” he said, his voice husky and dripping with desire. 

I could feel my heart pounding as he pulled me closer to him, my breath hitching as his face got closer to mine. His breath tickled my lips. My hands shook as I ran them slowly up his arms and around his neck. My fingers curled around the silky locks of hair at the back of his neck. His hold on me tightened as I dragged my nails through his hair. Anticipation, and perhaps alcohol, taking over me, I lowered and placed a soft, barely there kiss on his neck. The low groan that rippled through his throat encouraged me. I trailed kisses up his neck and along his jawline, occasionally nipping at his skin as I moved along.

“Fuck, Hermione,” he breathed. 

His thumbs traced agonizing circles against the inside of my thighs, slowly moving up towards my sensitive spot. 

I pulled back, looking into his eyes one more time, allowing myself to get lost in the sincerity of them for a moment before I finally sealed my fate and pressed my lips against his. It was soft, gentle at first, but quickly became feverish. He kissed me back with a hunger I had never known before, his skilled tongue gliding over my bottom lip, begging for entrance. I opened my mouth, inviting him in to deepen our kiss. I moaned as his tongue rolled over mine, my nails digging into his shoulders. 

He grabbed my waist and rolled us back over so he was on top of me. My legs wrapped around him and pulled him back into me, no longer caring about the stubborn fabric of my dress sliding up to my hips. His erection ground against my most sensitive spot, eliciting another moan. I could feel the pleasure bubbling in my core as I thrust my hips up to meet his. His hands moved from my waist, up my sides, around my neck, and tangled themselves in my hair. 

He turned my face to the side and placed tender kisses along my jaw and nibbled on my earlobe. I shuddered beneath him. I wanted more of him. I needed to feel his bare skin on mine. He ran his tongue along my neck and stopped to bite down on my throbbing pulse. I roughly grabbed a handful of his hair and forced his mouth back to mine. 

Everything be damned. I wanted Draco Malfoy, and why shouldn’t I have him? Right here, right now, I wanted to abandon reason. His tongue swept all doubt, all logic from existence as it skillfully mingled and fought for dominance with mine. 

My fingers found the hem of his shirt and started to tug it up and over his back. He stopped then and grabbed my hands, pinning them over my head. He rested his face in the crook of my neck and released an irritated groan. 

“Draco,” I moaned, begging him to touch me again.

He leaned up and looked into my eyes. 

“You don’t know how badly I want to when you say my name like that. I could take you and claim you right now. I could make you hate me tomorrow, when you come back to your senses and the alcohol wears off.” He sighed. 

I opened my mouth to protest but he brought a finger up to my lips. 

“Granger, you can say what you want right now, but we both know you’ll regret this. I don’t want you to want me because you’re drunk. If you’re going to want me at all, I would rather it be when you’re sober. I haven’t fantasized about this moment for all these years just for it to go like this.”

“You’ve.. You’ve thought about this before?” I asked, shocked. 

“Now is not the time.” He said, almost regretfully. “I never expected I would ever get this far. The most I ever even hoped for was us to be acquaintances.” 

There was no mistaking the look in his eyes then, as though a sharp pang of guilt had suddenly overtaken him. 

“Malfoy, what do you mean?” I demanded. 

“Later, Granger,” he said. “For now, we should really get you to bed.”

“I don’t want to go to bed,” I whined, my words very slurred. 

It seemed as though the moment the words left my mouth, I was overwhelmed with exhaustion. I silently cursed myself for yawning right after. 

Malfoy smirked at me. 

“Look, Granger, if you’re really feeling up to it in the morning, I’d be more than happy to pick up where we left off.”

“Bloody ferret,” I whispered as my eyes started to close. 

The last thing I remembered happening was Malfoy lifting me into his arms as I fell into a deep slumber. 


End file.
